Blue Diamond Stakes winner Earthquake is set to keep her unbeaten Caulfield record intact when she tackles the Group 1 $400,000 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) on February 28 first-up.
Earthquake will attempt to keep her unbeaten Caulfield record intact when she contests the Oakleigh Plate. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Earthquake showed that she was on track for a successful return to the races with her second recent barrier trial win over 800m at Cranbourne on Monday.
Chad Schofield has been booked to ride the John O’Shea trained filly in the Oakleigh Plate and was happy with the way she accounted for her opposition at Cranbourne.
“Her last jump-out here we were a bit quieter on her with it being her first one,” Schofield told AAP.
“She responded well and she couldn’t have trialled much better really.
“She clicked up through her gears nicely under limited pressure and no doubt she’s ready to fly with no weight on her back in the Oakleigh Plate.”
Schofield had Earthquake quickly into stride from the jump and the Exceed And Excel filly went on to score a three and a quarter lengths win with the young jockey hardly moving on her to record the smart time of 45.79 seconds for the trip.
Earthquake is the winner of five of her nine race starts with three of those victories being from three appearances at Caulfield.
When prepared by Peter Snowden under the Darley banner, Earthquake was undefeated as a two year old at Caulfield in the Autumn claiming the 2014 Group 3 $150,000 Sportingbet Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) (1100m) and the 2014 Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m).
Earthquake then returned to Caulfield in the Spring as a three year old to record a one length win over Tawteen in the Group 3 $150,000 Thoroughbred Club Stakes (1200m).
Now racing under the Godolphin banner and sporting the royal blue silks, Earthquake has the chance to win the giant global racing organisation their first Oakleigh Plate and go better than last year when Knoydart came from well back in the field to run third behind Lankan Rupee and Spirit Of Boom.
Earthquake was only tested once at Group 1 level during the 2014 Spring Carnival and was never in contention when eighth to the Chris Waller trained Brazen Beau in the $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on November 1.
The Oakleigh Plate will be the first time that Earthquake will be taking on the older horses after she was kept to her own age group in her two year old season and in the Spring of her three year old season.
