Group 1 trainer David Vandyke has Vinery-sired 3yo fillies Baccarat Baby and Miss Quaintly standing by for flights to the Sydney and Melbourne spring carnivals.
The Brisbane-based stablemates met with mixed fortunes at Doomben on Saturday.
Baccarat Baby (Casino Prince) shut the gate for her fifth straight win in Race 1 while Miss Quaintly (More Than Ready) was playing catch-up in Race 2 after her intended start at Sunshine Coast was deleted last week.
“It was a big win and she deserves a crack at the big time,” Vandyke declared after Baccarat Baby defied a tough run over 1600m. “She had 59kgs and went too soon after copping a check at the 600m. It was a very good performance to come from last off a slow pace.”
Vandyke will send Baccarat Baby south for the Flight Stakes Gr.1 at Randwick in a fortnight. Her only defeat in 6 starts was on debut when third to subsequent stakes winner Mishani Hustler at Doomben in February.
Baccarat Baby created another record for Casino Prince on Saturday. The Vinery champion has sired at least 20 horses with 5 wins or more to their credit but none have claimed that many in a row.
She faces a massive leap in Sydney and owner-breeders Peter Harris and Matthew Irwin will be hoping she goes one better than Casino Prince filly Longport who was runner-up in the 2012 Flight Stakes.
Casino Prince stands for a bargain-based $9,900 service fee at Vinery and he has sired 27 stakes performers headed by Group 1 winners All Too Hard and Escado. His career stats total 312 individual winners at an amazing 68% strike-rate.
Vandyke had earmarked the Victoria Oaks Gr.1 for his More Than Ready filly Miss Quaintly before an unexpected program change threw those plans awry. She had won at the Sunshine Coast on debut and again at Doomben in July before going out for quick break.
“We set her for the Sunshine Coast first-up last week but the race was cancelled after failing to gain enough acceptors,” Vandyke explained after she finished fourth in the race won by Stella Victoria on Saturday. “It was disappointing to miss that run but I have a big opinion of this filly.
“She’s not as good as Yankee Rose but she looks a better stayer. She relaxes so well, finds the line strongly and her breeding suggests she will have no problem finding a trip.”
Phoenix Thoroughbreds purchased Miss Quaintly for $280,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions National yearling sale. More Than Ready sired her from USA-bred mare Quaintly (Giant’s Causeway) who is a stakes-placed sister to Courtofversailles. He scored at Chantilly prior to relocating to the Gulf where won the Qatar Gold Trophy and Al Gharafa Cup.