Third time lucky for Dragon Queen in Westbury Classic

Breednet - Saturday January 22

The third time was the charm for Dragon Queen (NZ) (Sweynesse) at Ellerslie’s Karaka Million twilight meeting on Saturday, landing a career-best victory in the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m).

Happy connections celebrate the victory of Dragon Queen at Ellerslie. Photo: Kristin Ledington

Since her purchase for $50,000 by the New Zealand Chinese Jockey Club and Paul Moroney Bloodstock at Karaka in 2019, the daughter of Sweynesse has spent much of her 18-start career in stakes grade. That includes a close fifth in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) in 2020, followed by a sixth in last year’s Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m).

Dragon Queen returned to Karaka Million night for the third year in a row on Saturday, and this time she came out on top.

Ridden by Taiki Yanagida, the four-year-old settled in sixth place before dashing out of the pack as the field fanned wide across the track in the straight. In-form rival Faithful Feat (NZ) (Per Incanto) came through on her inside and joined her in a head-bobbing duel to the line, but Dragon Queen edged her out by a nose in an $18.70 upset.

It was a first black-type success for Yanagida, who had recorded 14 second or third placings from his 56 previous rides in stakes races.

“I’ve never won a black-type race before today, but Pam and the owners gave me this great opportunity tonight and I’m so grateful,” he said. “She always hits the line strongly but sometimes gets there a bit too soon. I tried to time it right this time, and I knew I’d got there on the line.”

Dragon Queen has now won two of her 18 starts, with another eight placings including a last-start third in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) and a third in last year’s Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m). She has also run fourth in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) and seventh in another three Group races including the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m).

For trainers Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard, Saturday’s narrow win was not only a deserved triumph for Dragon Queen, but also a welcome turnaround after stablemate Roch ‘N’ Horse (NZ) (Per Incanto) came up short by the same margin against Levante in last Saturday’s Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m).

Advertisement

“These finishes always seem to go against us lately,” Gerard said. “But this is a great result. We’ve been trying at this meeting for three years and we’ve finally done it. She’s one of my absolute favourite mares in the stable – she’s just got such a great nature.

“She was only a one-win horse, but she’s always run well in good races like this. She’s been a bit unlucky and probably should have been Group One-placed already.

“She’s really matured and has come back in outstanding order this season. She’s just getting better and better, and she really deserved this.

“It’s also great for Taiki, who has formed a fantastic association with this horse. I know he had the prospect of a good book of rides down at Trentham today, but he wanted to stay here to ride her, and I’m so pleased it worked out for him.”

Brighthill Farm will offer a Per Incanto half-sister to Dragon Queen at Karaka 2022 in March, set to go through the ring as Lot 290 in the Book 1 session.

NZ Racing Desk.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Bountiful and Many Men to be Offered at Tattersalls Online Southern Hemisphere Pop-Up Sale
The high-class pair BOUNTIFUL (Zoustar) and MANY MEN (Study of Man) have been catalogued for the Tattersalls Online Southern Hemisphere Pop-Up Sale to be held in collaboration with Inglis Digital Australia on Wednesday 6th August to Thursday 7th August. Full details of the sale which will take place on the Tattersalls Online website are now available to view at www.tattersallsonline.com.
Sires With Winners - Saturday August 2
Here is the full list of 101 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sydney preferred option for Dragon Queen
Group Two winner Dragon Queen put her hand up for Australian assignments after winning the Lisa Chittick Plate (1400m) at Matamata on Saturday.
Kiwi Bred Keeps Winners Coming for Payne Stable
The Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained Bold Soul has been a consistent performer right through the winter months and notched another win at Flemington when prevailing in the VRC Membership Renewals Open (2530m) on Saturday.
Sliding Doors Moment Delivers Feel Good Winner at Rosehill
Two fillies were born at Yulong in 2021 sired by Alabama Express from imported North American daughters of Street Cry, one of them is triple Group I winner Treasurethe Moment and the other is the feel good winner of the day at Rosehill on Saturday.
Dual Group Winner Too Darn Good At Flemington
A dual group winner during the Spring of her 3yo season, talented mare Too Darn Discreet showed an electric turn of foot, charging home over the top of them to win the Melbourne Cup Carnival On Sale (1620m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Crossbow Takes Aim At Flemington To Score
With quality efforts behind handy horses in his first three starts, trainer Chris Waller crossed the border to Victoria with instant success for the Star Thoroughbreds raced Crossbow, with the well-marked son of Better Than Ready breaking through for an impressive win.
King of Roseau Wins G3 Aurie’s Star
Placed in the Listed VRC Poseidon Stakes at Flemington last spring as a three year-old behind Growing Empire, Capitalist gelding King of Roseau returned to the same venue on Saturday to capture the Group III VRC Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m).
Unique Filly a History Maker for Godolphin and Waller
The re-distribution of the Godolphin owned Australian racehorses has been a hot topic in recent weeks as they departed the care of James Cummings to join a wide spread of different trainers and one of those was Chris Waller, whose first runner for the blue army was a winner at Rosehill on Saturday.
Kosciuszko calling Rosehill winner Elson Boy
Dubbo-trained Elson Boy was back in the winner’s circle after a 412-day absence when leading throughout to land the Jockeys Celebration Day Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill in the hands of apprentice William Stanley.