Queen's Bay thrived when winning the Yellowwood Handicap at Turffontein on Tuesday evening
Queen’s Bay seems to thrive at this time of year and the six-year-old mare bounced right back to her best when comfortably winning the Yellowwood Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m at Turffontein (standside course) on Tuesday evening. Queen’s Bay was landing this particular prize for a second time after also winning the race in 2009 and the decision to delay her retirement to stud by another year was vindicated there and then, writes MATTHEW LIPS.
Queen’s Bay had finished only 12th in the Gr 2 Emerald Cup on sand at her most recent start and went off as a 10/1 shot in a field of ten for the Yellowwood. Gr 2 Gold Circle Oaks winner Princess Of Light was the well supported 18/10 favourite despite having to shoulder 61 kgs top weight. Without Malice and sole three-year-old Amur Affair were the 5/1 joint second favourites, with Queen Mira supported at long odds to start at 7/1 after an ante-post call of double those odds.
Without Malice set out to try and make all the running on perfect going and set a respectable enough pace ahead of Imperious Star and Queen’s Bay, with Queen’s Command and Princess Of Light next astern as Amur Affair raced well back in the field. Without Malice began to come under pressure not long after turning for home, with Imperious Star also weakening. Princess Of Light had a clear run down the inside rail as Queen’s Command began to launch her bid wider out, but the one who was best positioned to strike once the early leaders folded was Queen’s Bay. The oldest horse in the race kicked clear into a healthy lead under Gavin Lerena and never looked in danger from 200m out. Lizzie Arden ran on strongly from well off the pace, but was always chasing shadows and was still two lengths adrift of Queen’s Bay at the wire.
The rest of the field were well and truly beaten, with 3.75 lengths further back to End Of Season, who stayed on nicely to fill third place a neck in front of Princess Of Light, who never really got going and who is no doubt at her very best over longer distances than 1800m. Amur Affair made no show and finished sixth, one place ahead of the pacesetting Without Malice, while Queen Mira was tailed off in last place and was clearly not a happy camper.
Queen’s Bay is trained by Mike Azzie, who was his usual eloquent and ebullient self afterwards. Queen’s Bay is owned by Mrs Bridget Oppenheimer, who bred the mare. Azzie had his first winner for Mrs Oppenheimer with Queen’s Bay and now receives five horses from Mrs O every year. The trainer went on to thank Queen’s Bay’s owner for allowing the mare to remain in racing for another year after a float had already been dispatched from Mauritzfontein Stud to collect her. “I told them I believed she had another Group win, maybe two, in her. She hasn’t had that much racing.”
Azzie’s judgement was certainly vindicated here, but Queen’s Bay will be an attractive addition to the Oppenheimer broodmare band when she does eventually bid the racecourse farewell. A daughter of Fort Wood out of the Golden Thatch mare Daphne Donnelly, Queen’s Bay hails from an excellent family and would be the envy of any breeder. She has won eight of her 27 starts, for stakes of R836 125.
