2016 Crown Oaks Day boasts an exciting nine race card at Flemington Racecourse this afternoon, highlighted by the Group 1 staying test for three-year-old fillies.
Yankee Rose is a clear favourite to win the Group 1 Crown Oaks at Flemington this afternoon. Photo: Steve Hart
It is a fine day in the great Melbourne metropolitan area today and the Flemington track has been rated a ‘Good 4’, after only 1.8mm of rain through the last seven days.
The 2016 Crown Oaks Day action will get underway with the running of the Red Rock Deli Plate (1700m) at 12:15pm AEDT, and will conclude with the Group 3 Crown Resorts Plate (1100m) at 5:45pm.
2016 Crown Oaks Day Results
Race 1 – 12:15pm Red Rock Deli Plate Results
Tavi Bay has produced a smart turn of foot to take out the Rock Rock Deli Plate on 2016 Crown Oaks Day.
Jumping well from the ideal barrier 2, jockey Michelle Payne settled Tavi Bay off the pace of early leaders Honey Cara, Hell Or Highwater and Ballybrit, who injected reasonable tempo into the race from the outset.
Appearing to be blocked for a run upon arriving at the final straight, Payne threaded the needle with the four-year-old and was greeted with a big turn of foot as the mare charged past her rivals for a classy win.
“We’ve had this race in the back of our mind for quite a long time,” trainer Henry Dwyer said.
“We don’t have any plans past today. We might even give her a freshen-up and look to something like the Tassie Cup, get a bit of black type with her.”
- 1st – Tavi Bay
- 2nd – Spanner Head
- 3rd – Champagne Ready
Race 2 – 12:55pm Twitter Trophy Results
The Chairman stormed home to win the Twitter Trophy on Crown Oaks Day. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos
The Chairman has produced a perfectly-timed sprint to win race 2 on 2016 Crown Oaks Day; the Twitter Trophy (1800m).
Dom Tourneur elected to take a sit on The Chairman in the early stages of the Twitter Trophy as Cool Chap and Encosta Line dictated early terms.
Cool Chap kicked clear of his rivals with 300m to race and the result appeared a foregone conclusion, until Tourneur asked The Chairman for an extra effort, who flew home to take the race by a neck; Scherzoso running on for third.
“He had a long time off and had a bad abcess, but now you’ll see a great horse and he might end up winning a nice race over 2000m one day,” trainer Mick Price said.
“He’s a nice horse and we’re really happy with him.”
- 1st – The Chairman
- 2nd – Cool Chap
- 3rd – Scherzoso
Race 3 – 1:35pm Off The Track Subzero Handicap Results
Queensland mare Pepperano scored a narrow win over Onerous in the greys race on Crown Oaks Day, the Off The Track Subzero Handicap (1400m).
Craig Williams settled Pepperano ($9.50) in second position behind the leader Gladstone, but just when Hugh Bowman on Onerous ($7) looked the winner in the straight after sneaking up along the fence, the Liam Birchely trained mare knuckled down to poke her nose in front right on the line.
$101 shot Gladstone did a great job to fight on to finish third.
“She has been so consistent. We had a little bit of time to race somewhere and come back for the Magic Millions,” Birchley said.
“She is a big brute of a thing. She really puts in. She hasn’t run a bad race this time in.”
- 1st – Pepperano
- 2nd – Onerous
- 3rd – Gladstone
Race 4 – 2:15pm 3AW Talking Melbourne Mile Results
Mihany led from start to finish to post a gutsy win in the 3aw Talking Melbourne Mile. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos
Mihany has led from start to finish to take out the 3aw Talking Melbourne Mile (1600m) by three lengths this afternoon.
Charged with overcoming a wide draw, Mihany jumped well but was forced to do a little work early to find the fore of the field.
Receiving a reasonably easy time of it at the head of the pack, Mihany pulled clear upon arriving at the final straight and never appeared in doubt; extending to beat Marwood and Pay Up Bro to the line.
“He’s honest as the day is long and that’s half the battle,” jockey Regan Bayliss said after the race.
“I probably just held him up a bit too much last start, but he was probably the best horse in the race and he showed it.
“Today he relaxed well underneath me and gave a really nice kick.”
- 1st – Mihany
- 2nd – Marwood
- 3rd – Pay Up Bro
Race 5 – 2:55pm Listed TV Stakes Results
Anaheim was unlucky to be balloted out of the Group 1 Victoria Derby last weekend, but has responded in the best way possible with a smart win in the Listed TC Stakes (1800m) this afternoon.
Anaheim jumped from the gates well and was on pace early, but jockey Ben Melham elected to pull the three-year-old back into the field as Peter John and Nemrud took up the running.
Charged with plenty to do with 400m to run, Melham waited before asking for an extra effort; a decision that paid dividend when the horse stormed home; hitting the lead with only 50m remaining.
“He came into today a fit horse and I think he’s still maturing, but he had the class today,” Melham said.
“He’s an improving type and improved enough to win here today. I genuinely thought he’d be a lovely Derby type. You do have to ride him patiently, but he picks them up well.”
- 1st – Anaheim
- 2nd – Righteous Mate
- 3rd – Rockstar Rebel
Race 6 – 3:35pm Listed L’Oreal Paris Stakes Results
Rageese stormed home to win the L’Oreal Paris Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart
Rageese has led home a talented field of eleven to win the Group 3 L’Oreal Paris Stakes (1400m) on 2016 Crown Oaks Day.
Rageese interestingly drifted in betting markets leading up to jump, but did his chances of defying the trend no harm when he found a good position in transit on the fence.
Takedown and Arod pulled clear rounding into the final straight, but Rageese’s turn of foot in the late stages of the race proved dominant as he comfortably swallowed up his rivals.
Darren Weir was on hand for the gelding’s impressive win and revealed he will travel to Perth to contest the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) later this month.
“We’ve been heading towards this race all preparation, so he’s earned his trip to Perth to run in the Railway,” Weir said.
“They ran along really strong and he got a nice cart into it. He let down really strong.”
- 1st – Rageese
- 2nd – Arod
- 3rd – Federal
Race 7 – 4:15pm Listed Mumm Stakes Results
Redzel has maintained a strong late tempo to beat a flying Terravista in the Listed Mumm Stakes (1000m) down the famous Flemington straight this afternoon.
Redzel settled into the run ahead of his rivals, but was kept towards the outside rail as the rest of the pack bunched up inside.
Blake Shinn ensured that the horse well length in the fore with 300m to run, and the decision proved correct when Terravista was unable to quite make up the distance late in the picture.
“Pretty confident that he was going to run really well,” Shinn said after the race.
“He’s a quality galloper and Peter Snowden before the race was pretty bullish.
“I just wanted to be strong late because I knew I’d have Terravista and Hellbent coming at me.
“He settled well, worked with me and it’s a great result.”
- 1st – Redzel
- 2nd – Terravista
- 3rd – Hellbent
Race 8 – 5:00pm Group 1 Crown Oaks Results
Lasqueti Spirit has led from start to finish to pull off one of the biggest upsets in Crown Oaks history; saluting as a $126 chance.
Jockey Brenton Avdulla had one idea aboard Lasqueti Spirit this afternoon; take up the running from the outset and ensure that the race would be run at break-neck speed from the outset.
After stringing the talent-rich field out along the fence over the back straight; pulling a gap of up to 30 lengths on horses like Yankee Rose, the Beneteau filly charged into the home straight and never appeared in doubt; incredibly breaking through for her maiden race win in the Group 1 feature.
- 1st – Lasqueti Spirit
- 2nd – Harlow Gold
- 3rd – Eleonora
Race 9 – 5:45pm Group 3 Crown Resorts Plate Results
Spright has maintained to the line well to win the Group 3 Crown Resorts Plate (1100m) and officially close 2016 Crown Oaks Day.
Spright jumped an outright favourite in the Crown Resorts Plate but jockey Kerrin McEvoy elected to settle behind runners this afternoon, as Conchita and Super Too dictated early terms.
Finding a gap between runners on the outside of the main pack, the daughter of Hinchinbrook produced a slick late turn of foot to beat Super Too and Miss Wonderland.
“Gary’s done a great job with her,” McEvoy said.
“She’s come back in, trialled really well and she’s done a good job there today.
“I was back in the ruck and I was a little worried about where I was going to go, but it just sort of opened up on the outside and I felt I had them covered from the furlong.”
- 1st – Spright
- 2nd – Super Too
- 3rd – Miss Wonderland
