It’s time to step back and draw breath on Saturday with just a Group III in Perth, a Listed race in Sydney and three Listed races in Brisbane.
There are several intriguing races for two-year-olds including the opener at Sandown Lakeside where six youngsters that have shown ability face off against five newcomers over 1200 metres.
The best of the unraced group looks to be Lindsay Park’s Sebring x Vain Queen colt Triton Rising.
Now if you are on the wrong side of 50 you may remember Vain Queen as the beautifully bred Vain mare that was trained by Tommy Smith for the late Jim Fleming. The winner of six of her first eight starts, Vain Queen was runner-to Scamanda in the AJ Moir Stakes. At the end of her track career, Vain Queen was touted to go to America to be covered by the legendary Secretariat. That never eventuated but she did visit Showdown and the result of that mating, a filly, topped the 1980 William Inglis Easter Yearling Sale when Eduardo Cojuangco had the last say at $250,000.
Anyway, it’s not that Vain Queen who is the dam of Triton Rising.
This one is the daughter of Artie Schiller (USA) who equalled her namesake when winning six of her first eight starts.
Trained by John Sadler, Vain Queen went on to win the Group III GH Mumm Stakes at Flemington before finishing fourth in Shamal Wind’s Group 1 Oakleigh Plate and then defeated all bar Lucky Hussler in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.
A $42,000 purchase from Mockingbird Hill at the 2011 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Vain Queen banked $551,660 for part-owners Phil and Zarah Green.
The dam of Vain Queen, Our Teneriffe (Kenvain) is an unraced half-sister to Group III Blue Diamond Prelude winner Card Queen who is the dam of the charismatic Karuta Queen (Not A Single Doubt) who won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Group III MVRC 1300 Australia Stakes and was runner-up in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes.
When covered by Sebring, Karuta Queen left the Listed BRC Bill Carter Stakes winner Eawase.
Bred by Phil Green, Triton Rising is the first foal of Vain Queen.
The son of Sebring was entered for the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale but was withdrawn and he races for his breeder and partners.
Vain Queen has a yearling Redoute’s Choice filly named Jacobe Queen and was among the final mares to be covered by Sebring (image Mark Smith ) last spring before his death in February.
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