No doubt about Karuta Queen in Heritage Stakes
She’s flashy and she knows how to fight, but most of all she’s blazingly fast, and today Karuta Queen made everything look easy in the $100,000 ATC Heritage S. 1100m LR.
Pictured: Tommy Berry has time to blow a kiss to the crowd as Karuta Queen cruises to victory at Rosehill today. (PHOTO: Sportpix)
The 3YO daughter of Arrowfield’s exciting young sire Not A Single Doubt started favourite after her brave last-start fourth behind the colts Smart Missile, Foxwedge and Helmet in the ATC Run to the Rose H. G3. Jockey Tommy Berry drove Karuta Queen forward from the start and settled her comfortably in front before engaging top gear at the 300-metre mark. The chestnut filly covered the final 600 metres in 33.38 seconds, and won by 2.5 lengths in 1:02.97, less than a half-second outside the course record.
Snitzel ‘s daughter Hollyweird finished strongly to dead-heat with Al’s Magic Miss for second, and add a second stakes placing to her record.
Karuta Queen’s trainer Neville Layt indicated afterwards that her next start may be on 8 October in the MRC Schillaci S. 1000m G2 at Caulfield – which means she would face superstar Black Caviar.
He told Thoroughbred News, “I am going to nominate her for it, it is a 1000 metre, weight-for-age and I get in with nothing on her back. She can run time and she is not like the others. If I run second to Black Caviar I will be happy but she has got speed and she is a natural little runner.”
Bred by Stuart Ramsey at Turangga Farm, Karuta Queen was purchased for $30,000 by her owners Glenn & Viive Williams at the 2010 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. She returned to Queensland in January to win the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (R) LR and has now won five of her 9 starts, and prizemoney of more than $1.5 million.
She is one of 6 stakeswinners by Not A Single Doubt who is proving extremely popular with breeders this year at a fee of $24,750 inc. GST.