Guineas favourite Prom Queen wins Barneswood Farm Stakes
NEW Zealand 1000 Guineas favourite Prom Queen has shown punters why it’s the favoured pick heading into the Riccarton feature next month.
As much as $9 was available with bookmakers earlier this season, but the odds are expected to be slashed after another effortless win from the three-year-old filly at Ashburton.
The $1.55 chance at Neds.com.au was heavily-supported to win the $70,000 Barneswood Farm Stakes on Saturday and it showed all the usual characteristics which make it one of the horses to follow across the Tasman.
Filling in for regular rider Alysha Collett, cousin Sam Collett was under pressure when Let Her Rip Riley piled on the pressure early after the saddle slipped, but Collett stayed calm and let its class take over in the concluding stages.
“I’ll tell you what, last week at Timaru was a sad trip home for Alysha, I feel sorry for her,” Sam Collett said. “But, full credit to the team with her, it’s not hard for me to fill in.
“She’s a fantastic little ride and Alysha has done the hard work on her.
“She’ll be sitting at home pretty bummed out, but hey cuz, thanks for the winner!”
Collett didn’t panic when she was taken on in front and she made sure to remove herself from a possible sticky situation.
“I thought something may go and soften me up, but she’s adaptable and I was mindful not to get in a spot where I was pocketed,” she said. “I sat outside the leader and she’s not a hard ride.
“Horses like her make the job really easy. I think they’ll be hard-pressed to beat her in the Guineas.”
The Guineas is next on the agenda for the eight-time winner from nine starts, which left co-trainer Kenny Rae emotional and a touch heated following the win.
“I said ‘what is that idiot doing?’ All you can do is ruin it, but they deserve to lose if they do that,” Rae said about Let Her Rip Riley, not knowing the saddle has slipped.
“She’ll go straight into the 1000 Guineas. How often would you think I have the favourite in a $300,000 group one race?”
Rae believes it still has plenty of improvement left and when Horsebetting.com.au spoke to him earlier this year, he was confident it would be good enough to travel to Australia in the autumn.
“She just keeps getting better,” he said. “She travelled down and I was a wee bit worried about the travel because that’s what got her beat last time, but nothing stops her.
“I could still be going, but I was never worried about it going the mile, she’s just too good.”
Prom Queen is now into $2.50 with bookmakers for the 1000 Guineas.