Group 1 winning jockey Damian Browne is not giving up on smart Kiwi filly Platinum Witness in the Group 1 $500,000 Treasury Casino & Hotel Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Jockey Damian Browne, above, is willing to give Platinum Witness another chance in the Queensland Oaks at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Platinum Witness was having her first run in Queensland last Saturday when a lacklustre sixth to the Gai Waterhouse trained Bohemian Lily in the Group 2 $175,000 URBIS The Roses (2020m) at Doomben but Browne is willing to forget the run.
The Lisa Latta trained filly was sent out the $2.80 favourite and was always travelling near the tail of the field before making up some ground in the straight with Browne reporting that she wasn’t comfortable racing the clockwise way.
“She was on the wrong leg the whole way and was never comfortable,’’ Browne told The Courier-Mail.
“She will be better from that experience. I think if she draws a barrier for the Oaks, and races generously, she can be there at the business end of the race.’’
Platinum Witness was a Group 1 winner for Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta when she took out the NZ$300,000 New Zealand Bloodstock 42nd 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton Park on November 15.
The California Dane filly’s form early in the year had been very good with a win in the Group 3 NZ$70,000 Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Hastings on February 28 before finishing second to Savaria in the Group 1 NZ$300,000 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 14.
Then at her next run she was second again in the Listed NZ$50,000 Windsor Park Stud Rotorua Stakes (1400m) at Rotorua on May 9.
Platinum Witness is still in the betting at $13 for the Queensland Oaks with Ladbrokes.com.au with the Chris Waller trained Winx heading the market order at $2.45.
Last Saturday’s The Roses winner Bohemian Lily is on the second line of betting at $5.50 ahead of Sydney filly Sebrina at $7, Winx’s stablemate Ballet Suite at $8 and Ungrateful Ellen at $10.
Winx cemented her spot at the top of the market order after showing her class with a last to first win in the Group 3 $125,000 XXXX Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast on May 16 and that win followed her second to Gust Of Wind in the Group 1 $1m Seven News Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick on April 11.
