Tough filly Tinto outstayed dominant favourite Arabian Gold to win the 2014 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm this afternoon.
Tim Bell was delighted to salute on Tinto in the 2014 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm this afternoon. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Arabian Gold went into the race as the clear punters elect and travelled into the race beautifully before cruising up to the leaders at the 200 metre mark, but it was Tinto that was the strongest in the final stages of the race and hit the line well to score her maiden win at Group 1 level.
Jockey Tim Bell timed his ride brilliantly on Tinto to give the promising staying filly the final crack at the rest of the Queensland Oaks field and he was clearly delighted to score his maiden win at Group 1 level.
“What a fabulous filly, I straightened up under the pump and looked across at Blake and he was going good, but I knew that he wasn’t going to be able to outstay me,” Bell said.
“This filly is one of the toughest three-year-olds I have ever ridden.
“I sat outside him (Blake Shinn) in the run and I was making sure that he was going to have to go for the runs and the runs opened up for him, but I had too much momentum for him.
“It is about time I got a Group 1 and I’ve been wanting one.
“I dedicate this one to Mum and Dad and the rest of my family; I wouldn’t be here without them because they are the ones that have done the hard yards early in my apprenticeship taking me to the races and that.
“It is good for Rexy; we have always been a good combination and now we have a Group 1 together.
Rex Lipp has had a couple of heart issues in the past few months and was doing his best to keep his excitement in check, but he was clearly delighted to have scored the second Group 1 victory of his training career.
The Toowoomba-based trainer was full of confidence that Tinto was the strongest staying filly in the Queensland Oaks and joked that he wished he had a heart as big as the Red Dazzler filly.
“I did a bit of jumping around early, but I have settled down now,” Lipp said.
“As Tim said if we could keep her (Arabian Gold) where we wanted her, we would outstay the filly and we are a better staying filly than what she is.
“This is one of the ones that I wanted to win, I love staying races and I prefer staying races than the other sprinting races and I love the stayers.”
Tinto remains in contention to back-up in the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm as does New Zealand-trained filly Rock Diva, who flew home late to finish fourth in what was arguably the run of the race.
