Dixie Blossoms and Daysee Doom will see a lot of each other in coming weeks, not only in the Randwick stables of Ron Quinton but on the racecourse, but their starting points will be different on their home track on Saturday.
Quinton was able to split the quality mares. Dixie Blossoms gets the benefit of Hugh Bowman on her back as she starts favourite in the Toy Show Quality, while a race later Daysee Doom will have Quinton's latest premiership-winning apprentice Andrew Adkins in the saddle in the Show County Quality.
"Dixie [Blossoms] has been in [work] a couple of weeks longer than Daysee Doom, so she is ready for the 1300 metres but it is good to be able to split them because they are going to have similar programs," Quinton said.
Both fillies were able to get black-type wins during the autumn and Quinton believes they are set to continue to race well into the spring. Dixie Blossoms returns to the Toy Show, where she chased home Pearls last year, and Quinton had a smile being able to book Bowman.
"It has been a while since he rode for me. He is just too hard to get these days," Quinton said. "He wouldn't be on this filly either because Corey Brown was booked for her but got suspended and luckily enough Hugh didn't have a ride.
"It is a good chance for us to have another winner together because she is going really well. She won her trial well and has always raced well first-up."
Daysee Doom will start over the 1200m of the Show County against all-comers rather than in mares' grade.
"She gets a bit less weight there and she is a bit fresher than the other mare," Quinton said. "They are both going towards the Golden Pendant, and have both shown that 1400m to a mile is their best trip.
"There are some nice races there for them."
Daysee Doom delivered on her promise in the autumn, running placings in the Millie Fox Stakes, Emancipation Stakes and Godolphin Crown. She was also only a length from Heavens Above when fourth in the Coolmore Classic.
So there was some delight when she finally greeted the judge in the Dark Jewel Classic for Quinton's apprentice Adkins to take Daysee Doom's record to six wins from 12 starts.
It is part of Quinton's success at guiding young riders that he trusts them in the better races and he knew how important the win of Daysee Doom was at Scone.
"It was good to see her get that win and it was good for Andrew because he did all the work on her and had been riding her very well," Quinton said. "You need that winning feeling.
"She has built up a good record and is up with the better mares around and I would think she will be in the firing line again on Saturday."
Quinton also has warhorse Boss Lane in the Show County, which will asked to lump top weight of 58 kilos and give weight to a group of emerging horses such as Spectroscope, Deploy, Omei Sword and Invader.
"He loves Randwick but there are some very good ones in the race," Quinton said.
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