It is often said that you don’t need to be stayer to win an ATC Australian Oaks (2400m), however Saturday’s classic over 2400m at Randwick threatens to be survival of the fittest on a bottomless track.
The last three winners of the Oaks all line up in Group 1 contests at Randwick again on Saturday. The 2021 winner Hungry Heart (Frankel) and 2020 winner Collette (Hallowed Crown) face off in the Queen of The Turf Stakes, while 2019 heroine Verry Elleegant (Zed) has some unfinished business in the $4,000,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Is there a filly in this years Oaks that can match the deeds of that trio?
Hinged (Worthy Cause x Tints by Tycoon Ruler)
A freak of a filly that has scaled the heights from a Toowoomba maiden to a Group 1 victory in the ATC Surround Stakes (1400m).
Her sire is a Group III winner of a mile and a son of champion sprinter Choisir.
Dam was a tough mare that won 12 up to 2000m while her sire won the MRC Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).
Gypsy Goddess (Tarzino x Invisible Coin by Redoute’s Choice)
Lost her unbeaten record but few friends when third in the Vinery Stud stakes at her most recent start and was a facile winner of the Grand Prix Stakes (2100m) at Eagle Farm.
A daughter of the VRC Victoria Derby winner Tarzino (Tavistacock) Gypsy Goddess’s dam was unraced and is a sister to Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) winner Cheeky Choice.
From the family of Rosehill Guineas (2000m) winner Zabrasive (Zabeel) and New Zealand Oaks third Danasia (Danehill).
Biscayne Bay (Sebring x Fratianne by Lonhro).
The winner of the SAJC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m), Biscayne Bay finished third in the Victoria Oaks without a lot of luck. She has had just one start since but earns extra respect being in the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace stable.
Her ill-fated half-sister Tenley won the Reisling Stakes but nothing beyond 1200m the same distance at which Fratianne earned her only win.
Fratianne is a granddaughter of the top-class sprinter-miler Skating, a daughter of Melbourne cup winner At Talaq.
Honeycreeper (Teofilo x Painted Firetail by Lonhro)
The hope of Godolphin. Honeycreeper Oaks campaign could have been derailed when third in the Tasmanian Oaks, but at her subsequent start went to the top of ATC Oaks betting with bolting away with the Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m0 on a heavy track at Randwick.
Teofilo has a couple of Melbourne cup winners, and winners of the Irish Derby, Yorkshire Oaks, Prix Royal Oak (French St Leger), Queensland Derby, Auckland Cup, Ascot Gold cup, nd Irish St Leger, so no knock there.
Painter Firetail did not win past 1250m in her two wins from 13 starts and the family has enjoyed most success in sprints.
Le Villi (Puccini x Mapperley Magic by High Chaparral)
Making her first start for Kris Lees after transferring from John Wheeler, Le Villi has made just five starts, the latest when sixth in the NZ Oaks.
A $10,000 weanling, she comes from the first crop of NZ Derby winner Puccini (Encosta De Lago).
Mapperley Magic, by the stamina influence High Chaparral, was unraced, but she is a half-sister to Grafton Cup winner Castle Heights (Golan) who was third in an Auckland Cup.
El Patroness (Shamus Award x Sure You Can by O'Reilly)
Won the Super Impose stakes (1800m) at her third start and has not been disgraced in five runs since.
Shamus Award is proving a very versatile stallion and he has two Oaks winner to his name already in the outstanding Queensland Oaks heroine Duais and the SAJC Schweppes Oaks winner Media Award. Add the Queensland Derby winner Mr Quickie and the Caulfield Cup winner Incentivise, you won’t put a pen through El Patroness on the score of her sire.
Sure You Can was a tough mare that won up to 2000m and is a half-sister to Avondale and Auckland Guineas winner Surely Sacred and the Tasmanian Derby winner Betwixt.
Hope In Your Heart (Dundeel x Hayaat by Montjeu)
Beaten a long way last start in the Vinery Stud Stakes but before that finished second in the Kembla Grange Classic and was not beaten far when sixth behind Hinged in the Surround Stakes.
A daughter of the ATC Australian Derby Dundeel, Hope In Your Heart is stoutly bred on the dams side.
Hayaat is a daughter of the champion racehorse and sire Montjeu (IRE) from the family of Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Detroit, dam of Arc winner Carnegie, and Cheveley Park Stakes winner Durtal, the dam of dual Ascot Gold Cup winner Gildoran.
Gin Martini (Rip Van Winkle x Tanqueray by Red Ransom)
Another who failed on the heavy track in the Vinery Stud Stakes after some consistent form.
Rip Van Winkle sired the New Zealand Oaks winner Jennifer Eccles, NZ Cup winner Bizzwinkle and the brilliant dual Group 1 winner Te Akau Shark who was third behind Lys Gracieux (JPN) and Castelvecchio in the Cox Plate.
The unraced Tanqueray is a daughter of the Group II Hawkes Bay Cup (2400m) winner Gordon's (Kaapstad) a half-sister to Formor who won a Group III over a mile.
Her dam Dash (Sovereign Edition) is a daughter of the outstanding mare Tang whose seven stakes wins were highlighted by the 1979 NZ Oaks.
Pink Ivory (Redwood (GB) x Lotteria by Redoute's Choice)
Six lengths off Fangirl in the Vinery Stud Stakes, the John Sargent trained filly has more upside than most.
Winner of two of her five starts, the Gerry Harvey homebred is by stamina influence Redwood (IRE) from the AJC Flight Stakes and VRC Myer Classic winner Lotteria who finished second to Makybe Diva in the Cox Plate.
Next three dams are by Sir Tristram, Zamazaan and Oakville, and you love to see that.
Charity Spirit (Cable Bay (IRE) x Magrosso by Magnus)
Surprised when a strong second to Honeycreeper in the Adrian Knox.
Shows staying ability despite being by the sprinter Cable Bay (IRE) out of the Magnus mare Magrosso whose only win in 13 starts came over 1300m at Geelong.
Magrosso is a half-sister to Wakeful Stakes winner Doubting and Blue Diamond Preview winner Special Edition.
Lekvarte (Reliable Man (GB) x Plumm (AUS) (Encosta De Lago)
By the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) and ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Reliable Man, Lekvarte’s two wins from 13 starts have come over 1600m at Newcastle and 1350m at Wyong.
Plumm failed to win in five starts although she was second to Full of Spirit in the 2000 Adrian Knox. Plumm’s third dam is the great Toy Show.
Secret Glamour (Sebring x Palace Whispers by Snippetson)
Another from the Maher – Eustace stable, Secret Glamour had her supporter in the Adrian Knox and was never a factor. Jockey said she failed to handle the heavy and will face similar conditions here.
The versatile Sebring had a dual Oaks winner in Egg Tart and an ATC Derby winner in Criterium.
A three-quarter sister to Horse Of The Year Dissident, Secret Glamour’s dam won one race at 1300m in 16 starts.
She descends from the Sovereign Edition (IRE) mare Early Edition, a sister to Helen Of Troy and Te Akau Princess.
Helen Of Troy left the top-class Zamazaan mare Calera, winner of the VRC Wakeful Stakes and is the dam of the VATC Caulfield Cup winner Imposera, AJC Spring Champion Stakes winner Imprimatur and the dual Listed stakes winner Calaboose.
Te Akau Princess is the dam of SAJC Hill Smith Stakes winner Palace News whose stakes-winning daughter Twitter is the dam of MRC One Thousand Guineas winner Serious Speed.
Commando Drift (Complacent x Sena by Helenus)
The winner of a maiden at Sale over 2200m from four starts, Commando Drift is a daughter of ATC Spring Champion Stakes winner Complacent (Authorized) from the unraced Helenus mare Sena.
Incredibly, this family sprung back to life with the emergence of Oaks favourite Hinged hose dam Tints is a daughter of Zero Colour, a half-sister to Sena.
Velvet Lady (Tarzino x Hot Pants by Keeper)
Well exposed with eight starts under her belt, Velvet Lady heads to the big smoke for the first time following wins at Newcastle and Scone.
Another by emerging stallion Tarzino, Velvet Lady is out of the Keeper mare Hot Pants a winner over 1400m in NZ.
Hot Pants is a three-quarter sister to ATC Emancipation Stakes winner Sworn To Secrecy.
Fourth dam is the AJC St Leger Stakes and AJC Adrian Knox Stakes winner Chaleyer who was runner-up in the Sydney Cup.
Mauricently (Maurice (JPN) x See Line Woman by Zabeel)
A winner over 1300m at Coffs Harbor on debut Mauricently failed to win in much easier in the country before a last start sixth in the Adrian Knox Stakes.
Maurice (JPN) has the ATC Derby and VRC Derby winner Hitotsu from his first crop.
See Line Woman won four races including a race at Sandown over 3400m.
She is a daughter of the Group 1 WaikRC International Stakes (2000m) winner Veloce Bella (Volksraad) who ran third in the NZ Oaks won by Princess Coup.
Chance Reward (Shamus Award x Mick's Mantle by Manton)
Broke her maiden over 2000m at Canberra at her most recent start.
Another by Shamus Award. A $5,000 Scone Yearling, her dam won twice up to 1600m and is a half to Listed winner Stocks.
From the family of The Hong Kong Gold Cup winner Perfect Partner.
Youthful So You Think (NZ) x Fullazz (Redoute's Choice)
A $375,000 maiden. He is a brother to Group 1 Rosehill Guineas winner D'Argento out of Listed MRC Debutante Stakes winner.
Selections
1 Gypsy Goddess
2 Pink Ivory
3 Hinged
