Ron Quinton is looking to Ofcourseican to snare the first running of the Golden Pendant at Rosehill on a race day that has been successful for the trainer in the past.
Quinton is confident Ofcourseican is ready to run up to her best in Saturday’s Group Three fillies and mares feature on the back of an eye-catching return in the Sheraco Stakes.
During his training career Quinton has prepared four winners of the Listed Reginald Allen Handicap for fillies at the corresponding meeting.
“The Reginald Allen has certainly been a good race for me, but they were all at Randwick,” Quinton said.
And while the trainer doesn’t have a filly in Saturday’s Reginald Allen, he believes Ofcourseican is on track for an even greater prize in the $250,000 Golden Pendant (1200m) which replaces the Research Stakes in a revamped Sydney spring carnival.
“It would be lovely to win and she’ll be going in as one of the main chances,” Quinton said.
“This was one of the races I mapped out for her a while back, along with her first-up race, and I’m just hoping that she can get home first.”
Quinton was delighted with Ofcourseican’s return in the Listed Sheraco (1100m) at Rosehill when the mare got back in a fast-run race before steaming home out wide for third.
The Randwick-based horseman has engaged his former apprentice, top jockey Hugh Bowman, to ride Ofcourseican.
“He’s ridden her a few times before and has won on her before,” Quinton said.
“A lot of the times she hasn’t had his weight. But I asked early enough for this race and was lucky enough to get him on her.
“He’s one of the best (jockeys) we’ve got.”
Quinton rated Ofcourseican’s first-up performance as “huge” and believes a similar showing would have her right in contention to add to her Listed win in the Wenona Girl (1200m) last preparation.
“They did go fast but she got a long way back first-up and it was a huge run,” Quinton said.
“If she can run up to that and produce just as good a run then she’s going to be running very well in this race.
“She always needs a bit of luck though because she gets back a bit in her races.”
AAP TURF
