A gorgeous grey by So You Think, D’Argento was a charismatic Group I winning member of the Star Thoroughbreds team before retiring to Bowness Stud and he sired his first winner at Canterbury on Friday night with a fast finishing victory for Rag Queen.
Easy in the market despite winning her most recent trial at Rosehill on December 18, Rag Queen was ridden patiently by Jason Collett and when the leaders set a brisk pace she was always going to be well suited.
Second last on the turn, Rag Queen charted a path between runners to arrive on the line and win by along neck to the delight of her trainer David Payne.
“Once she gets to a mile she’s going to be a smart filly,” Payne said.
“I thought I’d run her tonight and send her to the paddock, win, lose or draw. She’s been up for along time and I thought she could run into the money tonight.”
Jason Collett was impressed with Rag Queen.
“The speed was strong and I always thought she could run home well, but then the field opened up and we found a path through,” Collett said.
“Mentally, she is still very immature and we saw that in the yard and then I had to get off her at the gates, she has still got a lot of learning to do.
“So to do what she did on debut was pretty impressive.”
A $15,000 Inglis Gold purchase from Bowness Stud for her trainer, Rag Queen was also bred by Bowness and is the first named foal from Victory Day, a placed Domesday mare from a half-sister to Group I winning millionaire Devil Moon. She has a yearling filly by D’Argento to follow.
Rag Queen is the first winner from just two starters for D’Argento, who was a winner at two, but excelled at three to win the Group I ATC Rosehill Guineas at 2000m.
D’Argento has nine entries for Magic Millions, all of them to be offered by Bowness Stud.
