Having finished second and fourth at her last two starts at black type level behind Midnight In Tokyo, the Chris and Corey Munce-trained Lonhro’s Queen got the better of that mare on Saturday, recording his first black type victory when taking out the $200,000 Listed BRC Nudgee Stakes (1200m).
Settling back in the ruck after appearing slightly slow away from the gates, King worked forward to find herself in a mid-field position after 400m.
Tony Gollan’s Liquor went forward to take up the running with the second favourite Dance To The Boom getting a gun run on the rail in fourth, while the race favourite Midnight In Tokyo was back in sixth, but was racing three wide.
As the field entered the home straight and it was clear that Liquor had had enough, King started coming along through the inside as Ryan Maloney aboard Midnight In Tokyo was bringing his mare down the outside chasing her third straight black type win.
Drifting in late, Midnight In Tokyo couldn’t reel in Lonhro’s Queen who took the prize and earned her first stakes victory, giving her Champion Sire Lonhro a celebrated 100th stakes winner.
After a second placed effort last start at Listed level, the Tony Gollan trained Sunset Dreaming finished third here, two and a half lengths from the winner.
While the winner of the race secured themselves a golden ticket to the $1m Magic Millions Fillies & Mares, co-trained Chirs Munce indicated she would be spelled with the Brisbane Winter carnival as her main goal.
“It's all been about bringing this mare up to stakes grade,” said Munce.
“So it's job done and she'll have a rest now and we'll see where we go after that in the winter.”
She really is a lovely mare to do anything with," Munce said.
“She's a pleasure to have around and she's thriving.”
Having earlier ridden Bjorn Baker’s leading Magic Millions contender Warwoven to success, King recorded her second winner of the day, even though she initially wasn’t meat to be aboard Lonhro’s Queen, with original jockey Martin Harley stood down with a migraine.
“She just did everything right and the Munce team told me she was pretty straightforward,” King said.
“She jumped OK but when we went to cut across the back of them and sneak a few lengths up the fence, I was happy to do that.”
Lonhro Queen’s win took her overall record to eight wins and two second placed efforts from 22 starts with earnings of $420,700.
Bred by Gooree Park Stud, Lonhro's Queen is one of five winners, and the first at black type level out of the G3-winning Danehill mare Queen Of The Hill, a half-sister to G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Northern Meteor and the Listed winner Rabbuka.
Lonhro's Queen comes from an exciting black type family which also includes the G2-winning, G1 placed Smart Missile, himself a G1 producing sire, as well as fellow stakes winners Kiss From A Rose, Surge Ahead, Palaisipan as well as this season's leading Magic Millions 2YO Classic contender Tornado Valley.
Unfortunately, Lonhro’s Queen was the final foal of Quen Of The Hill who died in 2023 after missing for four consecutive seasons.
Passing away in April 2024, Champion Sire Lonhro has now sired 100 individual stakes winners highlighted by 14 G1 winners with his Golden Slipper-winning son Pierro carrying on his legacy, siring 40 stakes winners including six G1 winners.
