Graeme Rogerson has another potential Group 1 winner joining Shootoff for the Brisbane winter carnival.

Shootoff (Duelled) earned a start in the Queensland Derby on June 11 with a convincing victory in the Lord Mayor’s Cup at Canterbury on Saturday.  Rogerson’s up-and-coming filly Dowager Queen had booked her ticket across the Tasman an hour earlier at Arawa Park.

Dowager Queen (2f Savabeel – Dower by Pins) beat older fillies and mares with a brilliant turn of foot over 1400m in the Listed Rotorua Stakes.  Her winter campaign will also culminate on Derby day in the G1 T J Smith Stakes.

The Rotorua Stakes was her second stakes win following the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie on April 16.  

Dowager Queen made the most of a huge 9kg pull in the weights to defeat Fleur de Lune (Stravinsky) by three-quarters of a length.  “She’s a very developed, mature filly,” Rogerson said.  “I was certain she would be up to the task.”

Savabeel’s progeny are really hitting their straps.  The Rogerson trained Scarlett Lady also beat older mares in the G2 Travis Stakes last Saturday week.

Scarlett Lady is raced by Max Whitby while Dowager Queen was a $50,000 buy for the Two ‘N One Partnership at the 2010 Karaka Premier Sale.  Her full-sister Molly Coco was purchased by Karen Fenton-Ellis for $60,000 at the 2011 NZB National broodmare sale last week.

Rogerson part-owned Savabeel with Whitby and prepared him to a G1 victory in the 2004 W S Cox Plate.  He stands at Waikato Stud for a $20,000 service fee.