Princess Qualo. Excellent first up Win !

Saturday, 28 November 2009
By Glenn Davis. AAP Sports

Talented filly Princess Qualo booked an ambitious summer program culminating in the $1 million Magic Millions Trophy in January with an explosive comeback victory at Eagle Farm.

The three-year-old, having her first start since early September, stormed home for a 1-1/4 length win over Temple Of Boom in Saturday's Hardy Brothers Jewellers Handicap (1200m).

Trainer Robbie Heathcote was so confident of success with the daughter of Sequalo he made sure the filly's owners made a special trip from Canberra to watch her win for the third time in six starts.

"I was as confident as one can be with a horse running first-up from a break," Heathcote said.

"I was so confident she'd win I told her owners who mostly come from Canberra to fly up and I emailed all my other owners as well that

everything she's done leading up to this race has been faultless.

"She was well prepared for this race and it was no secret I thought she would be hard to beat."

Heathcote's confidence grew following the filly's Doomben barrier trial win on November 10 and a surprise to see her so well in with the handicap.

"When she was beaten at her last start she carried 58 kilos but under the rating system she had only 53 kilos, with the top rater on 58, Temple of Boom" he said.” Temple Of Boom is a very, very good horse but I didn’t think he could concede 5 kilos to my filly and beat her”

Larry Cassidy has been aboard Princess Qualo in all her three victories and returned to scale with a slightly cut lip after the victory.

"I was in the motion of getting the whip out when I struck myself on the lip," Cassidy said.

Heathcote believes Princess Qualo, who cost $225,000 at the Magic Millions sales, is top shelf and immediately outlined an ambitious program over the summer for the filly.

"She's a very good filly," Heathcote said.

"I thought about starting her next week in the Listed 3 year old fillies race but the program I've mapped out couldn't be better as we head towards the Magic Millions 3 year old race."

Princess Qualo's next start will be in the Gold Edition Plate (1200m) at Eagle Farm in two weeks before the Group Three Vo Rogue Plate (1350m) at Doomben on Boxing Day.

The Magic Millions Trophy (1400m) will be run at the Gold coast on January 9.