Old mates reunite with Capital Diva

By Glenn Davis

A friendship forged more than three decades ago will be striving for more success when Capital Diva starts at Doomben on Wednesday.

Gold Coast trainer Gary Doughty struck up a friendship with well-known Sydney owner and breeder Ray Gall during his highly successful career as a rider.

Doughty’s career in the saddle ended following a fall in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes in 2000.

“Ron Quinton trained most of Ray’s horses when I was riding and I rode Mamzelle Pedrille a few times for Ray and won on her,” Doughty said.

“I also rode her when she finished fourth in Danasinga’s Stradbroke win (in 1996).

“Since I stopped riding, I’ve trained half-a-dozen horses for Ray and they’ve all been winners.”

Doughty recently culled his stable team and now has around 10 horses in work and is confident the Gall-owned Capital Diva will be competitive when she steps out in the Benchmark 70 Handicap over 1200 metres.

The four-year-old is a daughter of Capitalist and is a three-time winner from only 10 starts.

However, all three wins were on the provincial circuits at the Gold and Sunshine Coasts and Doughty hopes she can end his run of outs in the city.

“I’ve had eight winners from my last 50 starters but I haven’t had a city winner for a while,” Doughty said.

“I think my last win in town was Rock Hard Love (in May last year).”

Doughty has booked Brandon Lerena to ride Capital Diva who is coming off a last start win in a 1200 metre Class 2 Handicap at the Sunshine Coast on February 1.

“It was a pretty good win that day and it was second-up after she had a month off between runs,” Doughty said.

“At her previous start when she resumed, she was only beaten one length when she ran third at Ipswich.

“She’s got a bit of ability and can run a bit so I’m expecting her to run very well.

“I had her in at Doomben on Saturday, but I scratched her when she drew wide.”

Doughty has no immediate plans for Capital Diva should she win and has reservations whether she’s up to a Queensland Racing Carnival campaign.

“I don’t think she’s a winter carnival horse just now so for the time being I’ll just try to take her through the grades,” Doughty said.