Canterbury preview: Craig Williams makes a quick Sydney visit for Queen Of Dragons
Star Victorian hoop Craig Williams will make an important hit-and-run mission to Canterbury on Wednesday in a bid to help talented filly Queen Of Dragons earn a crack at the $2m Inglis Millennium.
Williams will travel from Melbourne for one ride where he will partner Peter and Paul Snowden’s filly in the Drinkwise 2YO Maiden Plate (1200m).
Sydney rider Tommy Berry had originally been booked to pilot Queen Of Dragons but last Friday stood himself down as he awaits his appeal for a one-year ban.
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Williams got the late call up after previously working with connections, Trilogy Racing.
“It left us in a little bit of limbo as far as a rider goes that close to race day and after speaking to Craig and his management, he was able to take up the opportunity,” Paul Snowden said.
“The Inglis Millennium will be the first port of call with this filly but she has to win first.
“If she wins, she will probably go to that race but if she doesn’t then we will wait and see.”
Queen Of Dragons is by Pierro out of Entrancing, which makes her a sister to the Snowdens’ Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes winning filly Paris Dior.
Paris Dior also finished a runner up to Xtravagant Star in last year’s Inglis Millennium at just her second race start.
A win on Wednesday would see Queen Of Dragons take her place in the lucrative Millennium field on February 11 at Randwick.
The promising filly finished fourth on debut behind Red Resistance in a two-year-old handicap at Rosehill on January 14 and should reap the benefits from that race day experience.
“She was a little bit timid in among other runners,” Snowden said.
“Put under race day conditions, she was just got caught in vulnerable spots in certain stages that cost her.
“She was still strong on the line but raced a bit new.
“When she got going the last little bit, the race was all over but it’s turned out to be not a bad form race.”
The form around Queen Of Dragons has been franked with race winner Red Resistance claiming last Saturday’s Group 3 Canonbury Stakes while runner up Steel City was second in the Group 3 Widden Stakes.
Queen Of Dragons is a $3.90 second elect with TAB for Wednesday’s affair with only The Little Pumper ($2.10 fav) above him in betting.
The Snowdens look to have a great chance of claiming a winning double on the afternoon with Game Theory in the TAB Benchmark 72 Handicap (1250m).
The So You Think gelding has finished runner up in three of his five runs this preparation and was last seen coming a narrow second to Per Inaway in the Malcolm Cusick Stakes (1200m) at Gosford on December 28.
“He has had a little bit of a freshen,” Snowden said.
“It’s just been luck in running stuff with him.
“If he jumps and gets a kind enough lead, he has got a good finish on him if you hold him up to finish that way.
“With a small field, he is an on speed runner and if he happened to dictate that would be good
“James McDonald will certainly give him every chance hopefully.”
Game Theory has been $3 into $2.80 favourite to shade Dynamic Impact ($3.90) and Tawfiq Lass ($4.20).
QUINTON’S CRUSADE LOOKS A REAL BEAUTY
Trainer Ron Quinton believes improving galloper Beauty Crusade has laid down the foundations to be in the right in the mix to breakthrough in Wednesday’s Furphy Maiden Handicap (1580m) at Canterbury.
The son of Invader, a former $375,000 yearling buy, has only had two starts to date but improved from one run to the next and will look to take another step forward at his first look at the mile.
Beauty Crusade finished fourth on debut over 1350m at Wyong before running a nice third over 1400m at Randwick last start on Boxing Day.
“His form has been pretty good,” Quinton said.
“He is only a lightly-raced horse but his runs have been very sound. His run was good at Randwick in the 1400m so it doesn’t look like a bad race for him so I would expect him to run well.
“Hopefully he can get the money.”
Beauty Crusade has drifted from $3.50 to $3.80 in TAB betting but maintained outright favouritism for his third-up assignment.
Quinton will rely on the assistance of a former star pupil Andrew Adkins to help Beauty Crusade and fellow lightly-raced three-year Drialle break their maidens.
When joining forces the trainer-jockey have combined for 41 winners, which is the most wins Adkins has for any stable and includes his maiden Group 1 victor on Daysee Doom in the 2018 Coolmore Classic.
Adkins is set to have a greater challenge aboard Drialle, which has drawn a touch awkwardly in barrier nine for the Schweppes 3YO Maiden Handicap (1250m).
The Shalaa colt is the $71 outsider of the field after he was last seen finishing three and a half lengths away in third behind Citzenship at this track and trip on January 20.
“He had a run there a few weeks ago and ran credibly so he will go around again,” Quinton said.
“It may well be a stronger race but we will just have to see what happens there.”
Quinton also has Smart Little Miss in the Exceedance’s First Yearlings Benchmark 64 Handicap (1250m) but will weigh up whether to run the last start winner at Gosford 24 hours later.
Smart Little Miss has drawn barrier one in Thursday’s Rock @ The Race 18th March Fillies and Mares Benchmark 64 Handicap.
