Coolmore Classic Unlikely For Catkins Despite Breeders Classic Win

Catkins made a win start to her autumn campaign in the 2015 Breeders Classic at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, but trainer Chris Waller has revealed that the talented mare is unlikely to contest the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m).

Catkins scored a narrow win over Lilliburlero in the 2015 Breeders Classic. Photo by: Steve Hart

Catkins scored a narrow win over Lilliburlero in the 2015 Breeders Classic. Photo by: Steve Hart

Catkins started the Group 2 Breeders Classic (1200m) as a dominant favourite and she looked like she was going to run away to record a dominant win after she cruised up to the leaders at the 300 metre mark, but she was pushed all the way by Lilliburlero before getting her nose in front in the shadows of the post.

Waller is still desperate to record a Group 1 victory with Catkins, but he told the media after the race that he was not keen to run Catkins under handicap conditions in the Coolmore Classic at Rosehill Gardens on March 24 and will instead save the daughter of Dubawi for the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 11 and the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at the Gold Coast on June 20.

“I think we broke her heart last year in the Coolmore (Classic) with 59kg against good horses,” Waller said.

“I’m not going to make the same mistake so the Queen Of The Turf Stakes will be the target and then a freshen-up towards the Tatts Tiara.”

Jockey Hugh Bowman has ridden Catkins in ten of her past 11 race starts and he was thrilled to be able to record fifth race win on the five-year-old.

The leading hoop believes that Catkins will take plenty of benefit from her Breeders Classic victory and, like Waller, he is hopeful that this can be the campaign where the Group 1 placegetter is finally able to record a win at the highest level of racing.

“She’s just a model of consistency,” Bowman said.

“Although she hasn’t won a Group 1, I’ve ridden plenty of mares and seen plenty of mares that aren’t at her level and won Group 1s.

“She never seems to let anyone down.

“She got to the front easily and I thought I’m going to win easily and I think she just idled a bit in front.

“I think she might have been having a lend of me at the end of it because she was just doing enough.”

Catkins is currently available at 2015 Queen Of The Turf Stakes odds of $9 and is on the second line of betting along with stablemate Winx ($9) and Tattersall’s Tiara winner Cosmic Endeavour ($9).

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.