Champion sire Fastnet Rock had a Group II winner on Saturday in France where his quality miler Poker Face took out the Prix Daniel Wildenstein (1600m) at Longchamp and at Sandown on Sunday he sired a promising three year-old filly that has her trainer Grahame Begg hatching a plan that ends with the Group I MRC Thousand Guineas on November 18.
Carina Queen won on debut at Pakenham back in May and was then fourth when resuming from a spell last month. Well fancied in a strong 1400m fillies race on Sunday, she was well ridden by Mick Dee and was too strong in a thrilling finish to win by long neck.
“She’s a filly that we’ve got a very big opinion of; I’ve held her back because, obviously, the Thousand Guineas is not held til the third week of November,” Begg said.
“The other day at Seymour she got checked at the start and got squeezed out and got into a pretty awkward position in the race.
“She’ll probably go to the mile three-year-olds race at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day and then we’ll aim her up possibly at the Thousand Guineas (G1). I'm sure that she’ll relish a mile.”
A $450,000 Magic Millions purchase from Tyreel Stud for Eden Wong & Anita Chu, Carina Queen has won two of three starts with the promise of Black Type to come.
Bred by Two Bays Farm, she is the second winner from well bred Zabeel mare Hot Augusta, a winning sister to Group III winner Adrift and three-quarter sister-in-blood to Cox Plate winner Maldivian with Group I winning sprinter Entriviere also on the page.
Hot Augusta has a yearling colt by So You Think.
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