QUINZEL may have clocked the slowest qualifying time for this year’s Gold Tiara final, but she will still give trainer Amanda Turnbull a second shot at Group 1 glory.
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Around an hour after the The Lagoon trainer-driver qualified Now Eye See for the two-year-old fillies final in a 1:58.1 mile rate, she took out another heat with Quinzel.
Quinzel ran a much slower 2:00.3 mile rate, but as a heat winner her place in the $100,000 Gold Tiara final was secured.
The $7 chance came from third on the bell to snatch the win, Turnbull using the sprint lane to guide Quinzel to her first career win.
As the Modern Art x Left Town filly is owned by her mother Jenny and had previously been driven by her father Steve and brother Mitch, it was a result the entire family enjoyed.
“I can’t take the credit for this one,” Turnbull said.
“The boys have done an awesome job with her, I wouldn’t go anywhere near her early on.”
As for which filly Turnbull will drive in the final, she is happy to let ‘the boys’ take over with Quinzel.
“I will definitely stick with the other one [Now Eye See] … it’s absolutely easier to drive,” she said.
The fastest Gold Tiara heat winner, as expected, was My Sweetchilliphilly from the Menangle Park stables of Shane and Lauren Tritton.
The Betterthancheddar x Tact Philly filly narrowly missed out on equalling her two-year-old Bathurst track record as she scorched to victory in 1:55.3.
It saw her finish 22.3 metres clear of her nearest rival.
The Gold Tiara final will be run next Saturday night.