Queensland Derby (Group 1)
JOHN O’Shea and co-trainer Tom Charlton celebrated their highest success together by training first and second in the A$1 million Group 1 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Saddling up the Super Seth gelding Maison Louis and the Tivaci gelding King Of Thunder, the pair completed the quinella with a length between them as the Contributer filly Chase Your Dreams claimed third.
“I’m a proud Queenslander, not just a Queenslander, so it’s a big thrill today,” said O’Shea of Maison Louis’ win.
“Look, he’s just been a progressive horse by a top young stallion in Super Seth. It’s one of the few horses that we have for (syndicators) Go Racing, who do a wonderful job.
“He’s just a tough, resilient little horse and he’s come from obscurity to win a Queensland Derby, so we’re very excited. I think the key was that he was able to cope with the workload. He’s just a great doer and a good, tough horse.”
Maison Louis is now the fourth Group 1 winner for the Dundeel horse Super Seth who stands in New Zealand at Waikato Stud. “Unbelievable,” said jockey Ryan Maloney. “His breeding suggests he shouldn’t get the trip, but he’s a beautiful ride, he conserves his energy so well.”
Queensland Oaks (Group 1)
THE Kris Lees-trained You Wahng hung on for dear life as the bottle green colours of the So You Think filly outlasted the Godolphin blue of the Trapeze Artist filly Pinito to claim the Group 1 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The pair broke clear at the top of the straight in the 2,200 metre event with You Wahng’s advantage nearly overwhelmed before prevailing by the barest of margins. A length away in third was the Manhattan Rain filly Benagil.
“She was a little bit underdone last start with the let-up between the Sydney Carnival and here,” said jockey Tommy Berry of the third placed Australian Oaks starter at Randwick in April.
“She just felt so much more relaxed. She was just ready to go today, so it was a brilliant training performance. I really timed my run today, and lucky she’s only half a horse wide because she could take them sticky little tight runs, but it’s just unbelievable. It’s awesome to do it.”
Purchased for A$150,000 at the Magic Millions, You Wahng has now won three of her nine starts and becomes the 12th Group 1 winner for her sire So You Think. “Lovely ride from Tommy,” said Lees.
“He was able to get us straight across from the gate and got into a lovely position in running. He had a lot of horse coming to the corner, but I was always just a little guarded that last furlong when she presented, but she was able to find under pressure.”
Kingsford Smith Cup (Group 1)
JOLIESTAR was not winning the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup at the 300 metre mark. Third at best in the 1,300 metre A$1 million sprint looked her mark as she was more than five lengths off the leading pair Zarastro and Golden Mile. Perhaps not a champion, but the Zoustar filly is certainly a star, gobbling up the ground her stride continued to lengthen ‘til she grabbed the leaders in the final stride, claiming a third Group 1 win.
“She wasn’t entitled to win, but that’s how good she is,” said jockey James McDonald. “When I looked up at the 600 metres I thought I was ‘OK’, then I got on my bike but as soon as I did that, the pace quickened and the margin went from five lengths turning for home to seven lengths. It just didn’t feel like I was making ground. I was lucky I was on a proper horse, even though she didn’t like the ground at Eagle Farm today.”
Purchased for A$950,000 by Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s Cambridge Stud at the 2022 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, Joliestar’s victory also registered a record 19th Group 1 win this season for Chris Waller. “She was off the bridle at the 500, but to her class, she just kept coming,” said Waller. “She’s a pleasure to be training. The stable at the Gold Coast, call her the Queen. So we’ll run with that, she’s the Queen of Queensland today. She’s a lovely horse. She’s got a great record. She won’t have another run in Queensland, that’s it, she’s having a holiday and we will start planning for the spring.”
STAR Hong Kong sprinter Ka Ying Rising, one of the highest-rated racehorses in the world, will take on the $20 million Everest in October.
Enabling the entry is the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s deal to lease the Australian Turf Club’s Everest slot for at least the next two years.
“For this year, the club will use the slot to enable Ka Ying Rising to take part in The Everest,” said HKJC executive director of racing, Andrew Harding of the Shamexpress gelding who has been beaten just twice in 15 starts. “In future years, we will use the slot to either facilitate a Hong Kong horse running or to target Australian or New Zealand sprinters to come onto the Hong Kong International races after The Everest.”