Fitness to be Miyoshi’s Silver Shadow edge
Quinn’s homebred Denman filly chasing valuable black-type in first leg of Darley Princess Series
Young Sydney trainer Robert Quinn is banking on a fitness edge and an emerging formline when his lightly raced Miyoshi (Denman) contests Saturday’s Silver Shadow Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m), the first leg of the four-race Darley Princess Series for three-year-old fillies.
Miyoshi provided Irishman Quinn with plenty of encouragement when finishing a first-up second at Warwick Farm in mid-July having had just one lead-up barrier trial prior to going one better in a 1200-metre maiden at the same track a fortnight later, a performance which convinced the trainer to up his sights with the filly.
“Miyoshi came through her two runs in tip-top shape. It seems to have brought her forward and a three-year-old at this time of year, the spring carnival is just around the corner,” Quinn told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“You don’t get many opportunities to have a crack at these races … and obviously it’s a big jump in class, but she’s sticking to her own age and sex, so we are really looking forward to Saturday.”
Quinn has gained further confidence to tackle the Silver Shadow Stakes after Aft Cabin (Astern), the runner-up on July 27, won his maiden on the Sandown Hillside track by six lengths over 1400 metres last Wednesday. He firmed from $101 into $8 outright pre-post favourite for the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) on the back of his dominant Melbourne victory.
The fourth-placed Sawrey (Myboycharlie) won at Kembla Grange on Saturday after his run at Warwick Farm and the seventh-placed Avoidance (Snitzel) won at Hawkesbury last week.
“Sometimes people question heavy track form, but when the form out of that race is looking like it is with the horses coming out of it, it backs it up,” Quinn said.
“All you can take out of that is confidence because they’ve gone and done it now and it’s stacking up for us.
“Miyoshi has coped really well on two heavy tracks, but the way she is at home and the way she goes about her business, I’ve got the impression that she’ll be better on firmer ground, so hopefully that’s good enough to be a real contender on Saturday.”
A daughter of Twin Hills Stud’s Denman (Lonhro) out of the unraced Kaishi (Helmet), herself a half-sister to stakes winners Aichi (Strategic) and Kinshachi (Commands), Miyoshi also has last season’s ATC Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice) and fellow stakes-winning juvenile Espaaniyah (I Am Invincible) further back in her pedigree.
“I’ve had a bit of connection with (Golden River Investments’) Denys Chan and All Winners Thoroughbreds and it’s turned out to be so far, so good,” the Warwick Farm trainer said.
“Being the first one we’ve had race for them to come out and do what she’s done is brilliant and they bred her, so going into Saturday some black type would be huge for a homebred filly.
“Although we’re taking on some top-notch fillies from the powerhouse stables and they bring some ‘real form’, the Snowden fillies and co, fitness is going to hopefully play to our advantage.
“If she can bring that form, it is hopefully going to be our trump card.”
Hong Kong’s All Winners Thoroughbreds also races the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained three-year-old Alpha One (Super One), who was runner-up in last Saturday’s Vain Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Caulfield.
The Princess Series looms large for Miyoshi if she can live up to expectations at Randwick against the likes of Russian Conquest (Russian Revolution) and Revolutionary Miss (Russian Revolution), Queen Of The Ball (I Am Invincible), the unbeaten In Secret (I Am Invincible) and dual Group 2-winning former New Zealand filly Wolverine (Tivaci).
The series encompasses the $250,000 Silver Shadow Stakes, the Furious Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m), the Tea Rose Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) and the Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), with the breeder of the winner for each race receiving a trophy and a free nomination to one of four Darley shuttle stallions: Ghaiyyath (Dubawi), Victor Ludorum (Shamardal), Earthlight (Shamardal) and Palace Pier (Kingman).
Sydney’s reigning champion apprentice Tyler Schiller will retain the ride on Miyoshi having partnered the filly in her two race starts.
“She also has a speculative nom at this stage for the Thousand Guineas. The guy who rides her at home and Tyler, they’ve both said she will handle a step up in ground,” Quinn said.
“We’ll probably find out a bit more about her on Saturday, but she’s got a really relaxed demeanour, so that helps with the youngsters when you do try to step out over some distance at a young age.”