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seven newsAustralian Oaks
Kiwi wins are rare
Despite the fact that New Zealand is
generally regarded as the place to breed a
stayer and that some of the best staying fillies
cross the Tasman for the Australian Oaks,
only one New Zealand-trained filly has won
the Randwick Classic since Jim Campin’s
Domino scored in 1990.
Daffodil, trained by Kevin Gray, broke the Kiwi-
trained drought in 2009.
Australian-bred fillies have dominated the race.
Since Our Sophia won in 1985, only four New
Zealand-breds have won the Australian Oaks—
Daffodil, Coco Cobanna (2000), On Air (1998)
and Mahaya (1993).
The hot favourite to win this year is the New
Zealand-bred and -owned filly
Lucia Valentina
,
who was transferred from New Zealand trainer
Stephen Marsh to
Kris Lees
in Newcastle at
the start of this Sydney campaign.
The New Zealand-trained fillies in this year’s
race include
Rising Romance
(Donna Logan),
Miss Selby
(John Bary) and
Miss Mossman
(John Sargent and Hayden Allen).
Mum won it
Zanbagh
, trained by
Guy Walter
, is a most
interesting runner. Her dam, Wild Iris, also
trained by Walter, won the Oaks in 2004.
Only one winner, Gallantic (1932), has
produced a winner of the Australian Oaks. Her
daughter Jalna won in 1948.
VRC Oaks as a guide
History says that the dominant staying filly of
the spring is often the best filly of the autumn.
Eighteen fillies have won the VRC Oaks-
Australian Oaks double, the most recent
Serenade Rose in 2006.
While injury has forced last year’s VRC Oaks
winner Kirramosa out of the Sydney autumn
carnival, one of the fillies she beat—
Zanbagh
—
is an Australian Oaks contenders.
However, you need to go back to Danendri—
second behind My Brightia in the 1996 VRC
Oaks—to find a placegetter who went on to win
the Australian Oaks. Before that it was Mahaya
(second behind Slight Chance in 1992).
Keith Nolan at Kembla
The Group 3 Keith Nolan Classic (1600m) was
first run in 2003 and won by Ain’t Seen Nothin’.
This year’s winner was
Zanbagh
.
Some outstanding Group 1-winning fillies,
such as Appearance (2012), Hot Danish
(2010) and Allez Wonder (2009), have won
the Keith Nolan, but no winner of the Kembla
Grange feature has won or been placed in the
Australian Oaks.
The trainers
It’s 17 years since
Bart Cummings
trained his
record seventh winner of the Australian Oaks—
Danendri in 1997. Now in partnership with his
grandson,
James
, the great trainer will have
Cast
In Stone
run in this year’s edition.
Guy Walter (Zanbagh and
Missvonn
) and
Gai
Waterhouse
(
Forever Loved
,
Amanpour
and
Role Model
) are chasing their fourth win in
the Classic.
The jockeys
The late Roy Higgins rode a record six winners
of the Australian Oaks. He rode his six in the
space of 13 years from 1962 (Indian Summer)
to 1974 (Leilani).
Glen Boss
(
Miss Selby
) is chasing his fourth
and
Hugh Bowman
(
Lucia Valentina
) and
Nash Rawiller
(
Miss Mossman
) their third.
In Focus
Notable winners
Streama
2012
Serenade Rose
2006
Sunday Joy
2003
Grand Archway
1999
Circles Of Gold
1995
Triscay
1991
Research
1989
Bounding Away
1987
Just Now
1986
November Rain
1981
Lowan Star
1980
Surround
1977
How Now
1976
Leilani
1974
Analie
1973
Gossiper
1972
Gay Poss
1970
Lowland
1968
Light Fingers
1965
Indian Summer
1962
Wenona Girl
1961
Chicola
1959
Evening Peal
1956
True Course
1951
Sweet Chime
1947
Flight
1944
Valicare
1926
