Saturday's $120,000 Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) has drawn a competitive field of new season three-year-olds fillies.
It will be an emotional time for the owners of the Domesday filly Oregon's Day who will be making her seasonal debut after closing out last season by winning the Listed Redoute's Choice Stakes at Caulfield at just her second start. (photo Darryl Sherer)
Most of the owners of Oregon's Day also raced the filly's top-class dam Oregon Seal, but there will be one face missing.
Bob Skelton, who trained Oregon Seal after an illustrious career in the saddle, lost his battle with cancer back in August at the age of 81.
The 9-time champion NZ jockey is best remembered for piloting Van Der Hum to victory in truly atrocious conditions in the1976 Melbourne Cup.
Skelton trained a small team out of Mornington. His best performer was Oregon's Seal a tough and talented daughter of Oregon (Halo x Three Troikas) from the family of the star sprinter and excellent stallion Zephyr Bay.
Winner of the Group III Tesio Stakes in 2000, Oregon's Seal started 44 times for 9 wins and 8 places with earnings of over $286,000.
A few months before Skelton's death, Oregon's Seal was pensioned after leaving 8 foals.
Her final foal is a 2yo daughter of Dalakhani (IRE).
Three of her foals are stakes-winners. Besides Oregon's Day, she produced the 2013 Group II Perth Cup winner Talent Show (Jeune) and the Listed winner Oregon Spirit (Bel Esprit).
Now standing at Aquis Farm in Queensland, the former Darley stallion Domesday (Red Ransom) is coming off a successful season with five stakes-winners to his credit for the term.