Cups Future Ahead for Guineas Queen City Mission

This time next year Magic Millions Townsville Guineas queen City Mission could be back to tackle the Townsville Cup.

Rockhampton trainer Jamie McConachy predicted the four-year-old mare would develop into a Cups horse after she bullocked her way to a narrow win in the Guineas at Cluden yesterday.

“I really think she could end up being a Cup horse next year. She’s out of a great mare. She’s been getting beaten by good horses, but they were sprinters. We started to step her up and she looks like she could develop into a nice Cup horse,” McConachy said.

“She won at Ipswich over a mile a couple of starts back and before that she ran second over 1800m at the Sunny Coast. 

“She’s got a bright future.”

City Mission is raced by Brian and Lorraine Hall of Graceville Thoroughbreds who enjoyed success with Sunny Coast in the Pallarenda Stakes at Cluden last October.

By The Mission, City Mission was given a perfect trailing run in transit by jockey Adrian Lait before chiming in at the 200m.

She rallied strongly in the closing stages to beat fellow Rockhampton galloper Top Spy by a half neck with Gulf Of Lion a short neck away third.

City Mission provided Lait with his first feature win in Townsville since relocating to the city from NSW with his family earlier this year.

Premier trainer Georgie Holt kicked off Cup week with a feature race double after claiming the Aquis Belle of the Burdekin with Miss Seattle after a faultless Ash Butler ride, and the Global Welding Supplies Lightning Open (1000m) with Bones, ridden by Jackson Murphy.

“We’ve worked really hard to get here and we’re very thankful to all of the support we’ve received. It’s great to win the premiership but it’s also great to get some wins in these feature races,” Holt said.

“We’re really happy with Bones. It’s taken a little while to find his niche and racing pattern. Getting him in clear running and to the outside is his go.

“I was worried when the riderless horse crowded him today but he didn’t spit the dummy and held on really well.

“Miss Seattle is a really tough little horse. Getting her to the beach and keeping her away from the track has paid dividends today.

“And Ash turned in an ace ride from the wide alley and Jackson rode Bones perfectly as well.”

Holt has a huge week ahead and will have three likely runners in the Townsville Cup and confirmed Jackson Murphy had been booked for Siren Rock, Les Bubba Tilley for Portnoy and Lacey Morrison for Arctic Wolf.

Pictured: City Mission with connections after winning the Magic Millions Townsville Guineas (1609m) at Cluden Park on Sunday. 

See the racing calendar for upcoming race days.