Queensland mare Krone will be out to arrest a worrying lack of Group 1 success for horses trained north of the NSW border

Classy mare Krone is on course to arrest a worrying recent trend for Queensland horses in interstate Group 1 races on Saturday.

The decision to delay Krone’s retirement could go from a good idea to a master stroke if she wins the $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill.

In a golden period Queensland-trained horses won 12 interstate Group 1 races between 2011 and 2015.

However since Buffering won the 2015 Group 1 Winterbottom in Perth, Queensland-trained horses have won just one interstate Group 1 race when Alligator Blood took last year’s Australian Guineas at Flemington.

If you want to be generous you could include Yankee Rose’s 2016 Spring Champion Stakes as her trainer David Vandyke moved to the Sunshine Coast a few months earlier.

And in fairness though Queensland-trained horses have won half a dozen Group 1 races in their home state during that period but things have been lean when they cross the border.

Krone will be having her second start in Group 1 company after being beaten 2-3/4 lengths into eighth place behind Amphitrite in the 2018 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield.

Not that Krone is any stranger to racing in black type races as her 25 career starts have included 22 in elite grades.

Trainer Tony Gollan admits he originally never thought that Krone would be up to Group 1 class.

“Krone has had a lot of bad barriers which means she doesn’t have more wins. When I got her we poked along a bit and she won a stakes race for us. They were going to sell her at one stage,” Gollan said.

“I probably never thought I would have her in a Group One race but I knew she was going really well in the summer probably better than we had her before.”

“She really loves to get her toe in the ground. There is rain predicted for Sydney on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and that is what I really want.”

“She is a really good wet track horse.”

Originally trained by Mick Price, Krone twice won in stakes company for the Caulfield based trainer.

Krone was sent to Eagle Farm based Gollan early last year with the plan to pick up some more black type in Queensland.

The mare was then earmarked to go the Magic Millions broodmare sale last June.

However, when she showed strong form it was decided to delay her retirement and race on for another season

It has paid seriously big dividends as Krone has since won the Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes at Rosehill, the Magic Millions Fillies and Mares race at the Gold Coast and the Listed Glasshouse Sprint at Caloundra.

Throw in minor placings in three other black type races and Krone has earned $776,400 in prizemoney since the decision was made to continue racing her.

Krone has now won a total of $1,076,00 and that will be boosted by $344,000 if she can claim the Coolmore on Saturday.

But an even bigger payday is waiting if Krone goes to the broodmare sale this year.

A daughter of Eurozone, Krone keeps going up in value each time she sets foot in a sales ring.

Her owners, Roll The Dice Racing, paid $120,000 for Krone at the Gold Coast Ready To Run Sales after she originally went for $30,000 at the National Weanling Sales and then $60,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions Yearling Sales.

A win on Saturday would mean the next time she steps in the sales ring as a broodmare prospect she could bring upwards of $1 million.

Gollan will be in Sydney on Saturday but will have an eye on the Gold Coast races where he has fancied runners including the $500,000 3YO The Jewel favourite Miami Fleiss.

Originally published asTime to cash in on Group 1 for Krone

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