Tuesday, 26 June 2012: Ron Quinton's impressive autumn carnival seems to have paid dividends with the Randwick trainer picking up a handful of new horses, two of which will race at Canterbury tomorrow.
 | Ron Quinton
Photo by Racing and Sports | |
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Quinton will saddle up
Houston Benefactor 
who was formerly trained by John Sadler at Flemington, along with
Spinhro from the Norm Stephens stable in Queensland.
Houston Benefactor who races under the Segenhoe Thoroughbreds colours will line up in the Australian Turf Club Benchmark 71 Handicap (1250m) for 3yo fillies after some credible form in Saturday grade in Melbourne.
“We have had her for around two and a half weeks and she has come up from Melbourne in very good order,” said Quinton.
“She has only won the couple of races one of them a Class 1 at Sale three starts back but I heard she has a couple of issues and is quite difficult to ride,” he added.
“The owners have sent her up because there are more opportunities for her in some fillies and mares races, and tomorrow will be a learning curve for us but I have been happy with what she has done.”
Houston Benefactor who has drawn barrier 1 will be ridden by stable apprentice Sam Clipperton, with Quinton opting to race at the midweeks rather than at Rosehill on Saturday where she has also been nominated.
“We put Sam on her to get a couple of kilos off her as she is relatively highly rated.”
“It was originally a Benchmark 75 but she was the highest rated at 71 so she is the top weight with 59kg's.
“We will just see how she goes and take it from there but just looking at her form she does have some ability.”
This will not be the first time the filly has called Randwick home after racing with the Anthony Cummings stable in the early part of her career, which included a third behind Helmet in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes.
Quinton said the second runner for the stable, Spinhro, who will race in the Pluck @ Vinery Handicap (1250m) was left with the stable after he ran at Rosehill on June 9 under Norm Stephens, who still owns a share in the three-year-old gelding.
“He was left with us to see if he will measure up to Sydney Grade,” Quinton said.
“He has only won a class 1 at Scone and a race in Brisbane but because it was a metro meeting at Scone he is classed as a two metro win horse.”
“He looks very well and has that really dark Lonhro colour but similar to Houston Benefactor in that it will be interesting to see how he goes tomorrow and we will take it from there.”
Quinton, who also now train
Irish Dream , formerly from the Peter Moody stable said the successful autumn carnival with stable starts
Monton ,
Ofcourseican and
Crafty Irna might have something to do with the influx of horses.
“We picked up the two horses off Segenhoe Thoroughbreds including
Irish Dream who we are hoping to get a few wins from, otherwise she will probably be retired to stud.
“It certainly helps when you have good results and if you are a jockey or a trainer and going well the phone seems to ring a bit more,” Quinton said.
The stable claimed four feature wins over the recent Autumn Carnival including the Group 1
Coolmore Classic (1500m) with Ofcourseican.
