Quinton sweating on unlikely Furious Stakes start with De An Andretti
Early spring uncertainty for Libertini’s talented three-year-old I Am Invincible sister
Ron Quinton is in a quandary as to where to start the spring preparation of exciting filly De An Andretti (I Am Invincible), the sister of high-class sprinter Libertini, after being resigned to the fact that the three-year-old will almost certainly be balloted out of Saturday’s Furious Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m).
The veteran Randwick trainer wants to get De An Andretti’s campaign underway in the Group 2 race for fillies, the second leg of the Darley Princess Series, but a hiccup mid-preparation has left her scrambling at the bottom of the order of entry.
The $200,000 race, run at Randwick, attracted 25 nominations including Silver Shadow Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner Swift Witness (Star Witness) and placegetters Latino Blend (Hinchinbrook) and Four Moves Ahead (Snitzel) as well as the promising She’s All Class (I Am Invincible) and Najmaty (I Am Invincible).
De An Andretti, a homebred for Gerry Harvey who produced a startling finish to win her only start at Hawkesbury in April, is also nominated for a 3&4YO Benchmark 72 (1300m) at Randwick and a Newcastle Class 1 (1300m) on Saturday.
“I am not quite sure what I will do with her until I see what happens (with acceptances today),” Quinton said yesterday.
“She is unlikely to get a run in the Furious and she definitely won’t be running in the other (Randwick) race, so we will just have to wait and see and then weigh up our options after that.
“We will take it one step at a time because I had a slight hold up with her otherwise she probably would have been running in all (the Darley Princess Series races).”
De An Andretti (I Am Invincible), the fifth foal out of Coolmore Classic- (Gr 1, 1500m) winning mare Aloha (Encosta De Lago), won a 743-metre barrier trial at Randwick on August 6 and she did so again over 742 metres on August 20, despite bounding in the air when the gates opened.
Quinton put the filly’s lacklustre beginning down to an extraordinary set of circumstances leading up to the starter letting the field go.
“There was a problem at the start because before the start of that trial the barriers actually rolled,” he explained.
“The tractor handbrake wasn’t on or something and the barriers were rolling towards the inside fence and the horses were all in the gates.
“Then, there was a horse playing up in the gate next door to her and they had that horse’s head in her gate and she didn’t appreciate that, so she bounded in the air when they jumped.”
As for the comparisons between De An Andretti and her Anthony Cummings-trained sister, Quinton can understand the hype but also warned his filly would not be overtaxed this campaign and has already ruled out a trip to Melbourne with her.
“I wouldn’t say (she needs to) develop because she weighs 570 kilograms now. She is a big girl. She is a much bigger filly than Libertini,” he said.
“She is massive – she has got an arse on her like the back of a bus. She has also got a massive chest on her. She is a big unit.
“You have always got to have in the back of your mind that she is so big. You have just got to be careful and poke along, but everything is good in that regard.”
Regardless of where De An Andretti races, one thing is for certain: Andrew Adkins will be in the saddle.
He said: “I am a loyal bloke and he deserves the opportunity. He’s had a horrid run with injuries over the past couple of years. Gerry (Harvey) and Luke (McDonald, Harvey’s racing manager) and myself are very happy to have him on.”