TWO horses prepared by local trainer Marc Quinn face career defining challenges at Port Macquarie on Friday.
The Quinn-trained Cultural will face her biggest test when she starts in the $50,000 Carlton Mid Queen Of The North (1200m), one of the country racing’s richest races for fillies and mares.
The star of the Quinn stable, Pentasia, will trial after the meeting in a gallop which will decide her future.
Pentasia resumed with a last in the Canterbury Classic last month and after she arrived home a small joint problem was discovered.
“We have been treating her and so far she has responded well,” Quinn said.
“If she goes well in the trial and pulls up well she will neither go to Brisbane on Saturday week for the Listed Falvelon or to Randwick the same day for the Triscay Stakes.
“However if we are not happy with her she will be retired and prepared for stud.
“This trial decides her future.”
Cultural, to be ridden by Daniel Edmonds, has an affinity with the Port Macquarie track with three of her four wins scored here.
She resumed with a win here in December, ran a good third at Coffs Harbour at her next start but was disappointing when only sixth at Canterbury last month.
“She mainly went to Sydney as a travelling companion for Pentasia,” Quinn said.
“The 1100 metres was probably too short for her and she got a bump at the 650-metre mark which really out her out of action.
“She has come along nicely since then and is going to get into the Queen Of The North with little weight and the distance is right up her alley.”
Local trainer Neil Godbolt will have at least one runner in Al Nova while he has still to make up his mind on the other two horses he nominated, California Rain and Dinky Mink.
California Rain is a prime example of a horse finding a new lease of life with a change of stables.
She was originally trained at Newcastle by Steve Hodge and won four races under his care before losing form last preparation.
She was switched to Godbolt and won at her first start for him at Taree on 4 February.
