Star filly Karuta Queen bounced back to her brilliant best and booked a trip to the Melbourne Spring Carnival with a thumping of her rivals in today’s listed Heritage Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill.

One of the most popular gallopers in the country, Karuta Queen showed her usual high cruising speed and a great burst in the straight to win by two and a half lengths.

Queanbeyan based trainer Neville Layt said his flashy filly could face the world’s highest rated sprinter Black Caviar when he travels his stable star south for the spring.

“She’s won well,” Layt said. “I don’t know, but I might be getting a bit cheeky, but I might go down and take on Black Caviar.”

“She had an easy run in transit and when he let her down she was as good as ever.”

“When she came to the Golden Slipper her Grand Final had already been – up there on the Gold Coast,” he added.

“She’s back now!”

Winning rider Tommy Berry said he couldn’t wait to partner the filly in Melbourne and said he wouldn’t mind running second to Peter Moody’s sensation.

“She’s been great and I’ve been telling the reporters that this horse can relax,” Berry reported.

“She just takes a couple of runs to get that real freshness out of her and she came back to me well today and she showed me that real explosive turn of foot that she showed in the Magic Millions (Classic).”

“She’ll go to Melbourne now in a couple of 1000 metre races and she’s going to be hard to catch.”

“It doesn’t matter what’s behind her – unless it’s Black Caviar – they have to be able to run the time (to catch her) – it’s as simple as that.”

“I’m excited to go to Melbourne now,” Berry added.

Karura Queen was a $30,000 buy for owners Glenn and Viva Williams at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Turangga Farm.

Now a five time winner from just nine runs, the Not a Single Doubt youngster has earned a staggering $1,592,750.

Karuta Queen is a stakes winning daughter of the group winning Final Card mare Card Queen – a five time winner including a Group Three Blue Diamond Prelude for fillies.

The mare’s latest yearling – a cracking filly by Blackfriars – will go under the hammer during the super select session of the 2012 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale on February 14.

“She is a really lovely filly and she is sure to be one of the stars of our new enhanced opening select session of our Perth Yearling Sale next year,” Magic Millions Perth Manager Murray Tillett said.

“She will impress prospective buyers and obviously she is a half sister to one of the country’s top race fillies,” he added.

Winner: Karuta Queen
Breeding: Not a Single Doubt-Card Queen (Final Card)
Race: ATC Heritage Stakes LR (1100m)
Sold for: $30,000
Sale: 2010 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Turangga Farm (As Agent)
Buyer: Glen Williams
Earnings: $1,592,750
Owner(s): GR & Mrs VC Williams
Trainer: Neville Layt (Queanbeyan)