First Winner for D’Argento

A gorgeous grey by So You Think, D’Argento was a charismatic Group I winning member of the Star Thoroughbreds team before retiring to Bowness Stud and he sired his first winner at Canterbury on Friday night with a fast finishing victory for Rag Queen.

Second last on the turn, Rag Queen charted a path between runners to arrive on the line and win by along neck to the delight of her trainer David Payne.

“Once she gets to a mile she’s going to be a smart filly,” Payne said.

“I thought I’d run her tonight and send her to the paddock, win, lose or draw. She’s been up for along time and I thought she could run into the money tonight.”

Jason Collett was impressed with Rag Queen.

“The speed was strong and I always thought she could run home well, but then the field opened up and we found a path through,” Collett said.

“Mentally, she is still very immature and we saw that in the yard and then I had to get off her at the gates, she has still got a lot of learning to do.

“So to do what she did on debut was pretty impressive.”

A $15,000 Inglis Gold purchase from Bowness Stud for her trainer, Rag Queen was also bred by Bowness and is the first named foal from Victory Day, a placed Domesday mare from a half-sister to Group I winning millionaire Devil Moon. She has a yearling filly by D’Argento to follow.

Rag Queen is the first winner from just two starters for D’Argento, who was a winner at two, but excelled at three to win the Group I ATC Rosehill Guineas at 2000m.

D’Argento has nine entries for Magic Millions, all of them to be offered by Bowness Stud.

Race Image: Ashela Brennan Photography