While Winx is undeniably the star attraction at Randwick, Ron Quinton is looking forward to welcoming back two talented mares.
The former champion jockey-turned-trainer has the well-performed Daysee Doom and Dixie Blossoms in Group races on Saturday.
Daysee Doom resumes in the Group Three Show County Quality (1200m), her first start since her triumph in the Dark Jewel Classic at Scone in mid-May.
She trialled against Winx at Randwick on August 8 to prime herself for this weekend and finished little more than a length behind the champion.
Quinton admitted his apprentice Andrew Adkins could have pushed Daysee Doom harder and potentially beaten the world’s best horse on turf.
“I jokingly said to someone if Andrew had let Daysee go she might have beaten Winx,” Quinton said.
Daysee Doom was also placed in the Emancipation Stakes, Godolphin Crown and Millie Fox Stakes in her last preparation and although Quinton did not have a specific target in mind for this campaign he expected her to be just as successful.
“We’ll just take it step by step but we’re looking at some of the mares races and we’ll maybe progress to Melbourne,” he said.
Dixie Blossoms, the Group Two Guy Walter Stakes winner in February, also trialled impressively at Randwick ahead of her assignment in the Group Three Toy Show Quality (1300m).
Quinton said Dixie Blossoms would be aimed at next month’s Group Two Golden Pendant in which she finished second to Tycoon Tara last year.
“They’re back and ready to go. You’d have to think they’d be very competitive in whatever they run in again this season,” he said.
While Daysee Doom and Dixie Blossoms were his priority, Quinton acknowledged he was looking forward to watching Winx in the Group Two Warwick Stakes.
Quinton rode Kingston Town to the second of his three Cox Plates with Winx aiming to equal that record this spring.
“I couldn’t help but look. I couldn’t help but watch her. What a great champion. You love to see good horses, there’s not enough of them,” he said.
