Registering his first win since the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield last October, Mr Quickie lumped his top-weight to a hard-fought win over the game Tasmanian Still a Star in Saturday’s Group III Elvis Thurgood Victoria Hcp (1400m) at Caulfield.
Continuing a successful association with Ben Allen, the 5yo gelded son of Shamus Award defeated the 4yo Toronado (IRE) mare Still A Star by a head with a half-neck back to the Hard Spun (USA) gelding Galaxy Raider in third.
Allen is now four for four on the Phillip Stokes trained gelding who advances his record to eleven wins, five seconds, and three thirds from 28 starts with earnings of $1,982,800.
“I haven’t been beaten on him, so hopefully, I can keep the ride wherever he goes next start,” Allen said.
“It’s good to get a win for this group of owners, especially Phillip Stokes. He’s been a big supporter of mine, and he’s always helping me out when I need it.”
“The best part of his race last week was his last furlong. He needs those really solidly run races over 2000m for him to get into it.”
Part-owner Wylie Dalziel said his dual Group 1 winner is unlikely to head to Sydney for the Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick.
“We’re going to come to the VOBIS Gold meeting and run in the mile race.
“We considered the Doncaster, but it’s generally won by a lightweight horse, so we took that off the table.
”I think a few people doubted him coming back to 1400m today. But Phillip knows how to train him, keep him sharper for the 1400m to 1600, so we think VOBIS Gold day and then seven weeks into a Stradbroke, which is generally a Group 1 run at a quicker speed, so that will be the plan.”
Mr Quickie was a $115,000 Magic Millions purchase for Dalziel Racing from the Rosemont Stud draft. He was also bred by
Rosemont remains in the ownership and now stand his sire Shamus Award.
Mr Quickie is the first foal of Special Favour, a General Nediym winner at 2200m, who was purchased by Rosemont Stud/Blue Sky Bloodstock (FBAA) for $30,000 at the 2015 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale when carrying the near $2million earner.
A half-sister to the Listed winner Game keeper, Special Favour is out of the Group II winner My Tusker (Volksraad), whose grand-dam is champion Kiwi mare Horlicks, who won the Japan Cup in world record time.
Mark Pilkington Management purchased a Nostradamus colt out of Special Favour for $125,000 out of the Milan Park draft at the 2019 NZB Yearling Sale at Karaka.
Special Favour has a yearling filly by Sacred Falls, and a weanling sister to Mr Quickie.
The daughter of General Nediym was covered by Shamus Award again last spring.
