The unlucky Vain Queen is a chance of backing up at Moonee Valley on Saturday but a clash with super star sprinter Lankan Rupee in the Group 2 $200,000 Mitty’s McEwen Stakes (1000m) in unlikely.
Vain Queen could back up at Moonee Valley on Saturday. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Trainer John Sadler has nominated Vain Queen in both the McEwen Stakes and the Listed $120,000 Drummond Golf Stakes (1200m) but is leaning towards the latter.
“I’ll just see how she is in the next few days but I’m considering running her again,” Sadler told Racing Network.
“The next 24 hours will determine whether she runs again – I’m definitely giving it thought.”
“If she runs she will run in the Listed 1200-metre race.
“It’s probably not a good idea to take on Lankan Rupee.”
Vain Queen has had one run at Moonee Valley in June and recorded a one and a half lengths win over the 1200m trip tempting Sadler to send her around after her unlucky fourth to Flamberge in the Group 3 $135,000 theshark.com.au Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield last Saturday.
The Artie Schiller mare figured extensively in the stewards’ report with rider Craig Williams explaining that he was forced back further than he wanted after being caught wide and then squeezed out the back in the early and middle stages.
Vain Queen, the $3 favourite, was actually last on the home turn and while she was making her run through the field in the straight again was on the receiving end of interference before running home late for fourth.
Williams went on to say that he thought Vain Queen would have won had she had a clear run in the straight.
The lightly raced Vain Queen is the winner off six of her ten race starts and has earned just over $330,000.
While Lankan Rupee, rated the best sprinter in the world, has won nine from sixteen with over $2.85 million in prizemoney thanks mainly to his three Group 1 victories during the Autumn Carnival when he won the $400,000 Sportingbet Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield, the $1m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington and the $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
