Quinton Expecting Intimate Moment To Run Well In Toy Show Quality

The 1300 metres of the 2014 Toy Show Quality is well short of the pet distance for talented mare Intimate Moment, but trainer Ron Quinton is expecting her to run well in the Group 3 event at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Intimate Moment stamped herself as a mare to watch with her win in the Percy Sykes Tribute Stakes.

Intimate Moment stamped herself as a mare to watch with her win in the Percy Sykes Tribute Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Intimate Moment made her racing debut at Gosford at the end of 2012 and she did not break through for a win for almost a year, but worked her way through the grades impressively during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

The Dubawi mare made her black type racing debut with a fourth place finish behind subsequent Group 1 winner Diamond Drille in the Group 3 The Aspiration (1600m) at Royal Randwick on March 15 before storming home from the tail of the field to win the Group 3 Percy Sykes Tribute Stakes (1900m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 29.

Quinton told Racing Ahead that Intimate Moment had relished her stint in the spelling paddock and was delighted with the way that she performed in a barrier trial over 840 metres at Royal Randwick on August 1 ahead of the Toy Show Quality this weekend.

“Last preparation she went from a maiden to a Group 3 winner in the one prep and she has come back in superb order, she looks absolutely sensational,” Quinton said.

“She is a very mature mare now and although she has never been competitive over the shorter trips, it wouldn’t surprise me for her to run really well.

“She is just a beautiful mare now.

“That was a lovely trial.

“Sam rode her in the trial and I didn’t want her knocked about in that particular trial and she had a head full of steam in that trial.

“She was absolutely cruising and I elected not to trial her again going into a 1300 first-up, being a mare that likes a little bit further I was trying to keep her on the fresh side.”

Intimate Moment has been included in the nominations for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) and Quinton believes that there are plenty of options for the five-year-old during the 2014 Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

“We are hoping to venture to Melbourne a bit later in the spring,” Quinton said.

“One of my owners said to me nominate her in everything, so I did.”

Intimate Moment is currently available at odds of $101 in the 2014 Caulfield Cup betting market with Ladbrokes Australia.

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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.