QUEENSLAND OAKS

(Group 1)

THE Chris Waller-trained Egg Tart completed the South Australian-Queensland Oaks double with a solid performance at Doomben in the A$500,000 Group 1 over 2,200 metres last Saturday.

A winner now on six of her eight career starts, the $40,000 Inglis Sydney Easter yearling purchase has been a revelation and jockey Kerrin McEvoy was full of praise for the three-year-old filly.

“It was quite a remarkable win,” said McEvoy. “She’s got that superb ability to be able to settle well and sprint really quickly to get out of a rearward position to a dominant one quite quickly. It’s a nice attribute to have.

“She’s only a small-framed filly, and there could be more improvement to come, so there’s plenty of upside to her, that’s for sure.”

Settling near the tail from barrier nine in the 16-horse field, McEvoy angled the Sebring filly wide on the bend to come hurtling down the middle of the track, where she was able to pick up the leaders and run away to win by a length and a quarter from the Godolphin-owned New Approach filly Pygmy, who was a nose in front of the Fastnet Rock filly Oklahoma Girl, also trained by Waller.

The win was Egg Tart’s sixth in a row, with her past four coming in four different states. Consequently, comparisons to Winx were made as the Queensland Oaks was Winx’s sixth win from 12 starts to that point in her career, and the second of her current 17-start winning streak.

“You don’t know with horses,” said Waller. “Two years ago I wouldn’t have dared mention the Cox Plate after Winx won the Oaks, so this filly will be given her opportunity to get as far as she can and the example of Winx shows it can be done.

“You can see by just looking at her after the race. She’s standing there with her ears pricked, which means she’s not distressed and it says she has that X-factor in not having to call on all her reserves.”