John Sargent is good for a quote any day of the week, but he produced a ripper this week when asked about Quintessential’s barrier draw (21) for the Queensland Derby by a member of the news media.

Sarge said he was in a “crying mood” after seeing the draw.

He wasn’t the only one.  The owner was gutted, the manager (me) was distraught and I suspect Damian Browne wasn’t doing hand-stands either.

But you work with what you’re given.  Quintessential drew the car park in the New Zealand Oaks and put up a herculean effort to run third.

What is a plus this week is the prospect of a much improved racing surface.  When I looked this afternoon the rating was a Slow 6, so a little on the better side of soft.  With a good forecast we might well end up with a Dead or even Good track.  As I said leading into the Queensland Oaks, Quintessential is a much better horse on top of the ground – don’t go thinking for a moment she is a mudder.

We’re going into the unknown on Saturday; Quintessential has never backed up; she’s never taken on the boys of her own age group and she’s had a long campaign.  Win lose or draw it’s spelling time for the filly and she’ll next be seen out at four.  That could be in NZ, it could be in Australia – much will depend on her performance this Saturday.

Quintessential photographed at John Sargent's Matamata stable last November