Written by Richard Edmunds
Western Australia’s standout 3-year-old Tuscan Queen (Fastnet Rock) turned Saturday’s G2 Schweppes WATC Derby at Ascot into a one-horse race, continuing a decade of Derby dominance for her unstoppable connections.
Tuscan Queen became the eighth Derby winner in the last 10 years for owner Bob Peters, the eighth for jockey William Pike, and the seventh for the training stable of Grant and Alana Williams.
After effortless victories in the Listed Natasha S. and G3 WA Oaks in her previous two appearances, Tuscan Queen was the $1.40 favourite to add Saturday’s Derby to her autumn haul.
She sat in seventh place and one off the rail for most of the 2400-metre journey, and then Pike angled her to the outside coming up to the home turn.
Tuscan Queen exploded to the lead with a spectacular burst of speed in the straight, leaving her outclassed opponents in the rear-view mirror and crossing the finish line 4.75l ahead of the runner-up Red Hot Tip (Red Hot Choice).
“Her preparation has been really good after her first couple of runs,” Grant Williams said. “I think those early performances might have been the result of a hard campaign over the spring and summer.
“Since then, she’s just gone super. In her last few runs we can’t really fault her at all.”
"In her last few runs we can’t really fault her at all.” - Grant Williams
For Peters, Tuscan Queen provided a Derby win with a difference. All of his previous nine had been homebreds – Dreamaway (More Than Ready {USA}), Mystic Prince (Reset), Respondent (Haradasun), Delicacy (Al Maher), Arcadia Dream (Domesday), Action (Pierro) and Regal Power (Pierro).
In contrast, Tuscan Queen was bred in New South Wales by Matrix Bloodstock. She was bought by Belmont Bloodstock on Peters’ behalf at the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $300,000.
Tuscan Queen sold for $300,000 as a yearling from the draft of Coolmore
Out of Group 3-winning mare Tavarnelle (Zabeel {NZ}), and from the family of Group 1 winner Zirna (NZ) (Deputy Governor {USA}), Tuscan Queen is now the winner of six of her 10 starts and more than $580,000 in stakes.
“I think we’re pretty lucky to have these sorts of horses in our stable,” Williams said. “Mr and Mrs Peters just breed such beautiful horses, or in this case buy them. It’s great to be able to get the job done for them.”
Grant Williams also hailed the role that Alana played in Tuscan Queen’s impressive campaign while he was in Melbourne with the All-Star Mile quinella pair of Regal Power and Superstorm (Sebring).
“Alana really liked this filly from the start, and this campaign was her thing,” he said. “While I was in Melbourne, she was doing this.
“Alana really liked this filly from the start, and this campaign was her thing." - Grant Williams
“She was under a bit of pressure there for a couple of weeks. This was always our goal. No matter what happened in Melbourne, we had to still win a good race over here. That’s what we were going to be graded on. It’s a great team effort.
“I’m really happy with the job the whole team has done, and really happy with this filly and the way she’s held together.”
Trainers Alana and Grant Williams after Tuscan Queen's Derby win
