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/ Gary Crispe / 25 March 2012 / Leave a Comment 
Ron Quinton after training the winner of the 2002 Crown Oaks
"Ofcourseican who has been in career best form improved her Timeform rating again in the Coolmore Classic..."
Saturday's Group 1 Coolmore Classic over 1500m at Rosehill saw former champion rider, now trainer Ron Quinton, achieve a unique a milestone when Ofcourseican rallied late to claim the major end of the prize writes Timeform Australia's Gary Crispe...
Quinton, who won the race twice as a rider made history being the first ex-jockey to also prepare the winner the feature fillies and mares classic.
Quinton who won the inaugural running of the Coolmore Classic back in 1973 aboard the late Tommy Smith-trained Miss Personality also won the event on champion mare Emancipation trained by Neville Begg in 1984 and there is just a touch of irony in Saturday's result as Ofcourseican narrowly defeated Secret Admirer, trained by Neville's son Graeme.
Ofcourseican registered her eighth win in 26 career starts easily registering her biggest victory to date. A convincing winner of the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup last start but previously untried at 1500m, she dispelled any doubts about her ability to run out the distance strongly with a resolute finish deepest on the course to reach the lead 200m out then stall off challenges from two smart mares at the top of the weights Secret Admirer and King's Rose.
History yet again proved a harsh taskmaster for horses handicapped to carry more than 56kgs. Only four horses in the 39 years prior had carried more weight to win and while Secret Admirer (58kgs) and King's Rose (57.5kgs) came close they were held out by the lighter weighted Ofcourseican on the line.
Ofcourseican who has been in career best form improved her Timeform rating again in the Coolmore Classic, increasing her figure to 114 to a new career peak, up 2 lb from her previous mark in the Liverpool City Cup.
This value is under the five-year winning average Timeform rating for the race but slightly above the average rating suggested by historical race analysis.
Runner up, 2011 Group 1 Epsom Handicap winner Secret Admirer was impressive in defeat rating to 123, an increase 1 lb from her past master figure while third-placed King's Rose returned a rating of 122, her best figure since joining Peter Moody's stables last year.
Despite an official track rating of dead, race time analysis suggests a racing surface closer to the dead-slow range. Not all runners were suited by those conditions plus the added bias against racing on the fence resulted in most of the winners for the day coming down the centre of the track.
Race favourite Steps In Time, who was also on trial at the 1500m, set the pace throughout but pulled hard and refused to settle under Jimmy Cassidy. She turned for home well clear and had several runners off the bit chasing, however she compounded quickly leaving the race set up for those horses racing on the back of the speed.
Three-year-old filly Streama was one of those being hard ridden on the home turn. She failed to run into the race after tracking Steps In Time, beaten just over three lengths but in terms of her rating, she ran to her Surround Stakes winning form at her start prior.
Trainer Guy Walter is now toying with the idea of stepping her up in distance to the Group 1 Vinery Stakes over 2000m in a fortnight.
The winner Ofcourseican is likely to progress to the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes over 1500m at Rosehill in two weeks time where she is likely to again meet both Secret Admirer and King's Rose. However those mares will meet her much better under the weight for age conditions of that race.
Robin Bastiman is keen to get Borderlescott back on turf over a straight five furlongs after he was well beaten on his seasonal return at Lingfield......
Trainer Tom Taaffe has secured the services of Andrew Lynch for the ride on Treacle in the Grand National at Aintree on April 14......
Premio Loco landed the Group 3 Winter Derby at Lingfield on Saturday under an excellent ride from George Baker......
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