After campaigning exclusively in stakes grade in three starts in early autumn, the Peter Moody-trained Sensical reappears after nineteen weeks in Saturday's Take It To The Neds Level Hcp (1100) for two-year-old fillies at Caulfield.
The daughter of Zoustar made her career debut in the Group III Blue Diamond Preview on Australia Day with a third behind Sonic Boom.
Two weeks later, Sensical went off an unloved $17 chance in the Group III Blue Diamond Prelude when beaten less than a length when a fast-finishing fourth behind Exploring.
In the finale, the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes, Sensical ran into a traffic jam on the home turn when a non-threatening 13th behind Little Brose, although she was still only three and a quarter lengths behind the winner.
A fast-finishing fourth behind Exploring
Bred by Strawberry Hill Stud, Sensical was a $950,000 purchase for her trainer at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Sensical is the seventh foal of Karuta Queen and the fifth to go through the rine. High prices are pretty routine for Karuta Queen, with the Written Tycoon filly Queen Of The Green leading the way when selling for $1,500,000, the Sebring filly Eawase making $500,000, and the Spirit Of Boom filly Bezique selling for $475,000.
After seven consecutive fillies, Karuta Queen foaled a Spirit Of Boom colt last spring before being covered by Zoustar.
Karuta Queen was a rags-to-riches story for Queanbeyan trainer Neville Layt and owners Glenn and Viive Williams.
Bred by Stuart Ramsay, the daughter of Not A Single Doubt was a $30,000 purchase for Glenn Williams from the Turangga Farm draft at the 2010 Magi Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
She took little time in winning that back with four consecutive wins culminating in an emotional triumph in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic.
The season concluded when tasting defeat for the first time when second in the Black Opal Stakes.
While bad knees hampered her 3yo season, Karuta Queen won the Group III MVRC Red Anchor Stakes and Listed ATC Heritage Stakes, and she chased home Black Caviar in the Group II Schillaci Stakes and was third to Foxwedge in the Group III San Domenico Stakes.
Consigned to the 2012 National Broodmare Sale, Karuta Queen failed to make her $600,000 reserve.
John Singleton went against veterinary advice to purchase the 3yo filly under an arrangement where the Williams' had a share in Karuta Queen's first couple of foals.
Put back in training with Peter Moody, Karuta Queen placed in three of five starts, highlighted by a second to her now stablemate Black Caviar in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes.
When time was called on her career, Karuta Queen boasted a record of six wins, five seconds, and two thirds from 20 starts, with earnings of $1,857,675.
The daughter of Not a Single Doubt is the best of eight winners from nine to race for the slick racemare Card Queen, a stalwart for firstly Pat Hyland and Alan Bailey.
In a lengthy career, Card Queen won five and placed in 13 of her 46 starts with earnings of $302,550.
The highlight came at her third start when downing Northeast Sheila, Dance Baby Dance, Miss Pennymoney, Cloister, and the Golden Dane in the Group III Blue Diamond Prelude.
Card Queen's granddam Lady Grable (Lord Seymour) is a half-sister to the top-class mare My Evita (Comeran). The winner of the Group II MVRC Alister Clark Stakes, My Evita produced the Group 1 VATC Caulfield Guineas hero Vitalic and the Listed Don't Cry, the dam of Group II VRC Blamey Stakes winner Tears Royal.
The most successful of Karuta Queen's four winners to date is Eawase (Sebring), who won the Listed BRC Bill Carter Stakes, which coincidently is the race that Karuta Queen's Spirit Of Boom filly Bezique finished second at her second start in June last year.
