Races

Runner by Runner: WA Oaks

Posted on | Posted by Scott Embry

1. Admiration Express (55.5kg)

Trainer: Jason Miller
Jockey: Lucy Fiore
Barrier: 4

Winner of the Group 3 Champion Fillies beating Laced Up Heels and Linden Lady over 1600m back in November 2022. Returned in impeccable order when bolting in two 950m trials under a throttlehold from Lucy (then Warwick, now) Fiore. Was caught flat-footed on straightening first-up in the Challenge Stakes when Feels Playful gave her the slip but she kept coming to the line in a strong return to racing. Went around a well supported $2.20 favourite in the Ascot 1000 Guineas and turned the tables on Feels Playful, pulling away to win by just over 4L. Jumped $1.60 in the Natasha Stakes but as soon as the gates opened you could see things were not going to be pretty for favourite punters. She threw her head around, over-raced and ultimately was her own worst enemy when fading into third beaten almost 5L. Gets a 4kg weight swing on rivals from the Natasha Stakes at Set Weights but needs to tick the stayers box. Could she be too brilliant for 2400?

2. Megami (55.5kg)

Trainer: Takahide Ikenushi
Jockey: Brad Parnham
Barrier: 1

Perfect showcase of just how good the Ike Racing operation is going. She is not an easy filly by any stretch, but with a mixture of gear changes and race pattern changes they’ve (somehow) managed to get her out to the staying trips. She picked up a Black Type placing in the Natasha Stakes when finishing second, splitting 2023 WA Oaks favourites She’s Fit and Admiration Express. Barrier 1 in a field where absolutely nobody is likely to want the front is a difficult assignment for her early, but if Brad Parnham can eventually hand up to one and get her to settle in the early and middle stages she’s proving herself a legitimate player at this level. Can’t overstate just how good this training performance has been.

3. She’s Fit (55.5kg)

Trainer: Daniel Morton
Jockey: Chris Parnham
Barrier: 3

Resumed in a 1300m maiden at Pinjarra Scarpside at the end of January and then was given a galloping lesson by Megami in a 3 year old 0MWLY at Belmont over 1650m second-up. Ran a luckless, yet impressive third in the Ascot 1000 Guineas 4.5L off Admiration Express and Feels Playful before going around on the third line of betting in the Natasha Stakes. She travelled the winner a long way out and as soon as Chris Parnham pulled the trigger and put her into the race, she covered the powerfully and quickly with a sustained turn of acceleration. She won the race by over 2L and to the eye was only pulling away from them at the finish. She recorded the fastest overall L1200, 1000, 800, 600, 400 & 200 of the race to prove what they eye saw live. Looms ominous in the 2023 WA Oaks and WATC Derby.

4. Laquetta’s Gift (55.5kg)

Trainer: Dion Luciani
Jockey: Patrick Carbery
Barrier: 9

Has seemingly been racing for an eternity. She made her debut in September 2022 over 1000m at Belmont Park and since then has raced in every month, so amazingly she’s worked her way through one big, long preparation that has spanned her entire 11 start career to date. Very tough filly, very versatile filly and went into the Natasha Stakes off a 3-day back-up from a victory on the Wednesday Pinjarra meeting. Stepped from 1500m to 2200m off 72 hours and never gave it away at any stage. Without a natural leader could it be Patrick Carbery and Laquetta’s Gift who take it up? Hard to see her turning the tables on the four fillies who beat her home in the Natasha Stakes but she’ll give 100%.

5. Linden Lady (55.5kg)

Trainer: Grant & Alana Williams
Jockey: William Pike
Barrier: 10

Has had the rub of the green in the Ascot 1000 Guineas or the Natasha Stakes. In the Ascot 1000 Guineas was caught up behind tiring horses with nowhere to go until the race was all over before flashing through traffic to finish fifth beaten 7L behind Admiration Express, Feels Playful and She’s Fit and Megami. Progressed to the Natasha Stakes and again was held up and caught up in a tricky position. Was sitting pretty one out and one back before the breeze horse begun to compound and the three deep line had already started to build around them. Pike had to ease to three back the fence to avoid the traffic jam and by the time she balanced the race was again all over. Winkers go on for Grand Final Day but the barrier draw makes things tough for her.

6. Let Her Boogie Barrier (55.5kg)

Trainer: Roy Rogers
Jockey: Chris Nicoll
Barrier: 5

Was thrown in the deep end in the Ascot 1000 Guineas after winning a 1600m maiden at Albany. She raced in the breeze outside of Feels Playful (with Admiration Express on her inside) and when the sprint went on at the 600 she started to feel the pinch. Faded back through the field to finish eighth beaten just over 10.5L. Went back down to Albany and got over the top of C2 opposition when charging through the line after being ridden off speed. A C2 win on a Soft7 at Albany is one thing, coming back to town and into a WA Oaks looks a step too far.

7. Marri Martini (55.5kg)

Trainer: Neville Parnham
Jockey: Steven Parnham
Barrier: 7

Broke her maiden status in a 1650m maiden at Belmont in February and since then has contested the two lead up fillies features. Went around 80-1 in the Ascot 1000 Guineas finishing 10th beaten 12.7L and then went around 150-1 in the Natasha Stakes when beaten 10.3L. She’s going to go around triple figures again here in betting and there looks to be at least four or five who are sharper than her. Her mum (Rosmartini) won a Belmont Oaks at 2100m and a Belmont Classic at 2200m back in 2016 but from what we’ve seen so far it would be a big surprise if Marri Martini loomed into it.

8. Royal Elite (55.5kg) 

Trainer: Fred Kersley
Jockey: Peter Knuckey
Barrier: 8

Is on a very rapid progression up in distance. Resumed over 1500m at Pinjarra on 8 March in the race won by Laquetta’s Gift and now only 17 days later she finds herself third-up at 2400m in the WA Oaks. Backs up off 7 days after finishing eighth beaten 3.8L in a 60+ Graduation 1800m behind Wee Ripper and Awesome Chatter. She had 4.5 – 5kg on those older horses in that race and it simply isn’t the right form reference for a Group 3 WA Oaks. She’ll jump one of the roughest.

9. Bernbrae (55.5kg)

Trainer: Adam Durrant
Jockey: Clint Johnston-Porter
Barrier: 6

Thinking of the roughies in the WA Oaks that Bernbrae might be the best chance of causing a boilover, or more likely finishing in the money and adding some value to an otherwise uninspiring First 4. Thought she was grinding it out OK back in the field and give that she broke her maiden as an October filly at 2200m at least you can have some confidence that she’ll see out the trip. Doesn’t have the class or the brilliance of the fancies but she’ll continue to whack away. Has actually met with some support in betting between the Natasha and the Oaks, $34 into $16.

10. Lova Session (55.5kg)

Trainer: Daniel Morton
Jockey: Troy Turner
Barrier: 2

Was forced to do it tough in the Natasha Stakes when caught wide and working three deep without cover for the entire journey. All things considered she was entitled to be beaten the 12L margin and you can understand why Danny Morton and connections elect to progress onto the WA Oaks. In what is likely to be a muddlingly run and messy race the speed sits hidden somewhere between Lova Session, Let Her Boogie and Laqeutta’s Gift on paper. Maidens winning WA Oaks has become a theme in recent years: Lady Chant (2022), Lunar Impact (2021) and Dark Choice (2019) but surely not in 2023?

SELECTION: SHE’S FIT

Chris Parnham is no stranger to winning the WA Oaks: Very Tempting (2017), Special Alert (2018) and Dark Choice (2019) and looks set to go very close in 2023 with race favourite and booming Natasha Stakes winner She’s Fit. The way she races she can park midfield for the first 1400m of the race and then over the last 1000m she can work her way into the three and four deep moving line and descend upon the leaders. She’s drawn one barrier inside main danger Admiration Express so it will be interesting to see tactically how Lucy Fiore and Chris Parnham sort out their positions in running but considering how strong She’s Fit was through the line at 2200m it’s hard to tip past her at 2400m, even with the big weight swing.

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