Sunshine Coast trainer Shaun Dwyer puts a Dragonne Rouge victory in the 2025 Calaway Gal Stakes at the top of his birthday list
The Group 1 -winning trainer will saddle up $7.50 chance Dragonne Rouge in the $200,000 contest over 1200m for 2YO fillies, a precursor to the start of the Queensland Winter Carnival on Saturday week.
She will go up against the likes of the Tony Gollan -trained star Hi Barbie ($2.90), fellow unbeaten filly Ha'penny Hatch (4.80), trained by Paul Shailer on the Gold Coast, and the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott -trained Headbanger ($6).
Dwyer is hoping he can win another Group 1 – 21 years after his last – with Dragonne Rouge, who will be targeted towards the $1m JJ Atkins (1600m) on June 14 at Eagle Farm if she can continue the brilliant start to her fledgling career (two starts, two wins).
In his heyday, Dwyer had about 80 horses in work, winning the 2004 Lightning Stakes with flying filly Regimental Gal, the 'Toowoomba tornado' who the year before captured rich Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast.
These days, Dwyer's stable numbers have dwindled to about 15 and he has become the hunter rather than the hunted.
'I was a big stable once, I had 80-odd horses at Deagon there for a while,' Dwyer said.
'Those premier trainers, you've got to keep it in reality. They've got a lot of horses and the more they get, the better quality they get and they don't come for nothing.
'It's always good to get a horse (Dragonne Rouge) with that sort of ability. She's just so strong to the line and that's what you want.'
� Dragonne Rouge makes it two from two with a win in the opener at Doomben! @BrisRacingClub | @_damienthornton | @dwyerracing pic.twitter.com/ywvEJL9WWE
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 12, 2025
•
Dwyer said he was quietly confident his filly could win on Saturday under the guidance of Andrew Mallyon, who takes the ride in the absence of Damien Thornton (who is riding Ha'penny Hatch) and Michael Rodd (Isti Star).
'When you've got a small team, you're hoping everything goes right and you've done the job,' he said.
'Fortunately I've been here a few times in my life and, yeah, I am pretty confident that if she can get the right ride then she'll go good.
'I think Andrew Mallyon is the ideal rider because he likes those midfield travels and he lets his horses find their feet.'
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Dwyer believed the wide expanse of Eagle Farm would suit Dragonne Rouge even better than her last-start victory at Doomben this month when she wore down odds-on favourite Get Ready Lass over 1110m to get the cash on a soft track.
'We've had the benefit of a couple of solid runs,' Dwyer said.
'I've got no doubt that the 1200m at Eagle Farm is probably going to suit her a lot better.
'She can just travel around on the bit and let down. I think her times the other day (at Doomben) were very good.'
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