Owner Max Whitby is hoping his filly Dowager Queen can win the Group 3 $175,000 Hidden Dragon The Roses (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday to boost her sale price at the upcoming broodmare sale at the end of the month.
Dowager Queen is set to go under the hammer at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on May 29 and if she wins at Doomben Whitby will be looking to retain a share with the filly who likely to start in the Group 1 $400,000 Treasury Casino Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm four days later.
“I’m a trader and I’ve got about 75 horses and it’s a matter of turning stock over for me,” Whitby said.
“Dowager Queen is a rising four-year-old and I’ve got her full sister Dowager Princess who is showing a lot of ability in New Zealand.”
“If I decide to travel her I’m also going to sell Dower at the sales and she’s in foal to O’Reilly.”
“It’s unfortunate the sale is before the Queensland Oaks.”
“If Dowager Queen wins The Roses I’ll endeavour to do a deal with whoever buys her so I can still have some of the action for the Oaks.”
“If she sells for a low price I’ll definitely be trying to do a deal.”
Dowager Queen’s mother Dower is also going through the sale ring as well as last year’s Queensland Oaks winner Scarlett Lady.
The three year old filly is being prepared for Saturday’s Roses by the new training combination of Lee Freedman and Graeme Rogerson after being transferred from Rogerson’s New Zealand stable where he trained in partnership with his wife Debbie.
The Savabeel filly has been unplaced at her two runs back from a spell in New Zealand, the latest was when fourth, beaten less than two lengths by Putyourfaithinme in the NZ Bloodstock Insurance Stakes (2000m) for three year olds at Te Rapa on April 28.
She did run second to Mosheen, beaten nine lengths, in the Group 1 $1m Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington over the Melbourne Cup Carnival last spring before returning to New Zealand.
Dowager Queen was also a visitor to Queensland last year and just missed the place in the Group 2 $250,000 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) and the Group 1 $500,000 T J Smith (1600m) at Eagle Farm, finishing fourth in both.
The Shaune Ritchie trained Miss Artistic heads the Roses betting at $5, just ahead of Gerald Ryan’s filly Angel Of Mercy at $5.50 with Dowager Queen down the order at $14.
Trainer Clarry Connors has decided to take the winkers off Invest ($12) in the Roses after the filly carried them to victory in the Group 1 $400,000 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on April 28 in an attempt to get her to settle better in her races.
“She’s had the winkers on for her last three starts but they’re coming off,” Conners said.
“She pulled too hard with them on in Adelaide and I’m hoping she’ll relax more without them.”
“It was always our plan if things went right in the Australasian Oaks to send her up to Queensland.”
