Former favourite I Am A Star has lost her position at the top of betting after the Shane Nichols-trained filly drew the outside barrier in a capacity field for Saturday’s Quezette Stakes 2016.
Pre-field favourite I Am A Star has suffered a blow drawing the outside 2016 Quezette Stakes barrier for her return at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo: Jenny Barnes.
Run this year as the $150,000 Group 3 Winslow Group Stakes (1100m) as Caulfield Race 6 at 3:20pm (AEST) on P.B. Lawrence Stakes Day, the Quezette Stakes field has drawn the full 16 starters.
Pre-field favourite in Quezette Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au, I Am A Star has eased out in her bid to win her first-up run of the season after suffering a blow with barrier 16 of 16.
She has won two of her three starts to date, the latest on May 21 in Adelaide’s Group 3 National Stakes (1200m) when she got things her way from barrier one of eight in a small field at Morphettville.
I Am A Star also trialled nicely at Canterbury on Monday over 800m running second on a Heavy (8) track, but will need to be at her best to overcome the alley in her resuming run this weekend with Steven King booked for the ride.
Also drawn wide in this season’s Quezette Stakes include the likes of the resuming Tony McEvoy-trained Concealer (14), Henry Dwyer’s last start Sale winner Leotie (13) and the Danny O’Brien-trained daughter of Denman Merriest (11).
Globetrotting hoop Craig Williams is booked to ride McEvoy’s Nicconi filly Concealer, a Group 3 winner at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day last spring.
She was runner-up first-up at Caulfield in mid-February in the Group 2 Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude (1100m), but could only manage to finish ninth in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) next start.
Concealer was also unplaced last start when sixth in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) at Flemington in March, the wide draw not helping her claims of returning to her better form in the Quezette.
Having enjoyed opposite luck with the rails run from barrier one is the Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra-trained Sword Of Light.
Damian Lane retains the ride on the daughter of New Approach, winner of the Group 3 Blue Diamond Fillies Preview (1000m) back in January.
Her last run was first-up at Caulfield over 1000m on July 30 when a brave second to Derryn in a two-years-old handicap leading to her first start as a three-year-old this weekend.
Other fillies drawn well in the Quezette Stakes this Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival include the David & Ben Hayes – Tom Dabernig-trained Athena Lass (2) and the Joe Pride-trained Kentucky Miss (3).
Athena Lass is one of the early fancies, especially after the favourable gate draw, with the daughter of Snitzel coming off a winning debut in the wet at Moonee Valley from mid-July.
Kentucky Miss meanwhile might have a nice barrier in the Caulfield Group 3, but Pride could scratch her from the race in favour of chasing a Black-Type placing in a smaller Sydney field on Saturday taking on Capitalist in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens.
New favourite in Quezette Stakes markets due to run from barrier five with Daniel Moor in the saddle is the lightly-raced Leon & Troy Corstens-trained Modern Wonder.
The daughter of Snitzel has had only one run to date but won a Black-Type sprint on debut at Morphettville Parks on April 23 by two lengths, form she’s tipped to repeat in Melbourne this weekend.
See below for the full Quezette Stakes 2016 field, barriers, jockeys and weights before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au to back your favourite fillies at the right price at the home of Odds Boost!
2016 Quezette Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
Caulfield Race 6 (3:20pm) – 13/08/2016
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1x296x | CONCEALER | Tony McEvoy | Craig Williams | 14 | 57.5kg | 73 |
| 2 | 1108×2 | SWORD OF LIGHT | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | Damian Lane | 1 | 57.5kg | 74 |
| 3 | 3x21x | SHE’S POSITIVE | Tony Noonan | Steven Arnold | 7 | 56.5kg | 69 |
| 4 | 611x | I AM A STAR (NZ) | Shane Nichols | Steven King | 16 | 56.5kg | 74 |
| 5 | 1115x | HOT DIPPED | Brendan Mcshane | Dwayne Dunn | 10 | 56.5kg | 72 |
| 6 | 4414x | SELENIA | Robbie Griffiths | Jye McNeil (a) | 9 | 56.5kg | 72 |
| 7 | 1x | MODERN WONDER | Leon & Troy Corstens | Daniel Moor | 5 | 56.5kg | 71 |
| 8 | 26x07x | KINETIC DESIGN | Stuart Webb | TBA | 12 | 55kg | 66 |
| 9 | 4x19x | NAJMAAT | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Mark Zahra | 8 | 55kg | 67 |
| 10 | 1756×15 | KENTUCKY MISS | Joseph Pride | Craig Newitt | 3 | 55kg | 66 |
| 11 | 16x | MERRIEST | Danny O’Brien | Damien Oliver | 11 | 55kg | 67 |
| 12 | 615×90 | VIENNA WALTZ | Stuart Webb | TBA | 15 | 55kg | 61 |
| 13 | 2x | CONSCIOUS | Leon & Troy Corstens | Stephen Baster | 6 | 55kg | 68 |
| 14 | 1 | ATHENA LASS | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Cory Parish | 2 | 55kg | 66 |
| 15 | 9×1 | LEOTIE | Henry Dwyer | Chris Parnham | 13 | 55kg | 63 |
| 16 | 1x | MISS SALINGER | Peter Morgan & Craig Widdison | Ms Linda Meech | 4 | 55kg | 63 |
