Victoria Quay will continue her campaign geared around the Group 1 Australasian Oaks when she tackles the inaugural $102,250 Clare Lindop Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained three-year-old stamped herself as a Oaks filly in the spring, running second behind boom colt Ain’tnodeeldun in the Hill Smith Stakes in Adelaide before winning the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes at Flemington.
She resumed in the Listed Morphettville Guineas on Adelaide Cup Day and was big drifter in betting before being beaten 4.1 lengths behind Struck By.
“She really needed that first-up run,” Calvin McEvoy said.
“The price was ridiculous. She was the class horse in the race, but she was first-up with target of the Oaks.”
McEvoy said they walked away happy enough given the way the race panned out for the lightly-raced daughter of Dundeel, who found herself racing closer to the leaders for the first time.
“We were pretty pleased,” he said.
“She raced a little bit fresh and settled much more forward than what suits her and what we anticipated.
“On Saturday she’ll be ridden a little more patiently form the gate.
“Now that she has that run under her belt, and with a good gallop this, she should run well.”
The stable has the Group 1 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville on May 1 firmly on its radar, while it hasn’t ruled out taking on the boys in the Group 1 South Australian Derby over 2500m a week later.
“The Oaks is her goal, (but) there is obviously the SA Fillies Classic as well and there is also the option to take on the boys in the Derby,” McEvoy said.
“I don’t think there is a Russian Camelot this year.”
The stable will also saddle up a pair of maidens – Spectacle and Glitzy Girl – in the Listed feature and McEvoy said both were staying fillies with plenty of upside.
“Spectacle is a very good filly, albeit a maiden,” he said. “She has Oaks written all over her.
“They’re both nice horses and wouldn’t be running if we didn’t think they would be up to that level.”
