TRAINER Ashley Maley of Gingin is upbeat about both his starters in the Drummond Golf – Belgravia Stakes (1200m) at Ascot tomorrow.
Maley said in the past few months Penny On The Queen had grown and filled and would be 16hh now.
In the Belgravia Stakes where jockey Troy Turner has the ride, Penny On The Queen will carry 4kg less than Amelia’s Jewel and 5kg less than Snowdome and start from barrier four.
“I think she can cause an upset,” Maley said.
“She just needs to turn up with the right attitude on the day and she’ll give it a shake.”
Earlier this year Penny On The Queen, whose has one win at 1200m, showed some potential with a third in the Group 2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m) and before that a third in the Group 3 Gimcrack (1100m).
Prior to the Group 3 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) on April 16 Maley was reasonably confident heading into the race but said from barrier seven Penny On The Queen might need some luck and her great turn of foot to win.
After over-racing in the early and middle stages and getting her head in the air several occasions the daughter of Universal Ruler and Kensington Gem finished sixth behind Snowdome.
Maley said the filly was headstrong but the Sires’ Produce was not run to suit her.
“It was very slow up front and turned into a sit-and-sprint.”
In her last start – the 3YO Classic (1000m) – she finished seventh but Maley said she had been blocked for a run with the only option to go wide and cover more ground and he had been pleased with how she finished off the race.
His other runner in the Belgravia Stakes, Swim Through, also showed an electrifying turn of foot when he won in Perth in his last start putting four lengths between himself and his rivals.
He said Swim Through would want more ground as his preparation continued and predicted both horses would do better over further ground.
Swim Through and jockey Brad Parnham will jump from barrier three.
