By Michael Guerin
Queen Of Swords may have earned herself a ticket to the big dance that is the Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes Final with her win at Addington on Wednesday but she has a more immediate target first.
The sister to Henry Hubert recorded her second win in just five starts when she led throughout in the heat on Wednesday, buzzing her last 800m in 57.3 seconds to hold out favourite Aardie B Miki.
That means she is qualified for the Group 1 final at Alexandra Park in late May but before then driver John Dunn says Queen Of Swords will head south rather than north.
“Her next main aim will be the Southland Oaks,” Dunn told HRNZ.
Queen Of Swords has already contested the very strong Oamaru heat won by Ruby Roe and she finished fourth so she will aim at another heat and then hopefully the $60,000 final at Ascot Park on April 21.
“That is the race that makes the most sense next and then depending how she goes in that then we can make a decision about heading north for the final.
“But she is qualified now and we obviously have a team up there so she is a good chance of making the trip.”
The win took Diamond Racing, or Team Dunn, to 40 for the season and they are now just three behind Team Telfer (43-40) at the head of the trainer’s premiership in what already looks a two-barn battle.
Another to catch the eye on a quiet Wednesday night was Judy J, who is clearly a three-year-old filly with a future which she showed smashing her older opponents in the IRT.Your Horse.Our Passion. Trot for the Tomlinson/Ford family with Sheree in the sulky for her 10th win of the season so far.
Hayden Cullen trained an early double after Wish Me Luck led and bolted in in the Fahey Fence Hire Junior Drivers Mobile Pace while juvenile filly General Jen looked the real deal when she sat parked for much of the last lap to win the Woodlands Stud Supporting Our Future 2Yo Fillies Pace on debut from the eyecatching Forever Dream.
Later on Jeff Wheeler got his first training success of the season with Lovey Dovey Nova in the K B Electrics Trot while Sarasota Sunset continued the unexpected renaissance of Trevor Walsh as a driver when she won the last on the card, the Gold Band Taxis Mobile Pace.
That appears to be Walsh’s his first Addington driving success since Gyspy Winkle in July 1989, the pair going on to win the Southland Oaks the following year.
There may be another driver in New Zealand history who has gone 35 years between wins at Addington. Good luck trying to find him or her.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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