Oaks Day at Flemington on Thursday features four stakes races and while the Group I VRC Oaks holds centre stage, the Group III VRC Ottawa Stakes for 2YO’s is a must watch as it features the half-sister to Oaks favourite Montefilia.
Making her debut for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Shalaa (IRE) filly Nice for What has drawn the outside, but has the services of champion jockey Hugh Bowman.
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She was a $160,000 Inglis Premier purchase for Ciaron Maher Racing from the Shadow Hill Thoroughbreds draft and is the fifth foal from stakes-placed Shirocco mare Bana Wu (GB), who has had four foals to race for three winners with dual Group I winner Montefilia the star performer.
Montefilia was bred and sold by Tyreel Stud, who sold her dam Bana Wu in 2018 at the Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale to Victorian breeder Sean Duke for $92,500.
Mr Duke has a yearling colt from Bana Wu by Ribchester (IRE), but no foal this year after she missed to the same sire last spring.
Her new owner will be cheering Nice for What on as Bana Wu was covered again by her sire Shalaa in early September.
