2014 Queensland Oaks betting favourite Arabian Gold twisted and trod on a shoe before trackwork at Eagle Farm this morning and is no certainty to take her place in the Group 1 event this weekend.
Trainer David Vandyke remains hopeful that Arabian Gold will give him his first Group 1 victory in the Queensland Oaks on Saturday. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Arabian Gold was a dominant favourite in Queensland Oaks betting markets and trainer David Vandyke was extremely bullish about her chances in the $400,000 event, but now faces an anxious wait to see how the Dubawi filly responds to the minor setback.
Vandyke told News Limited at trackwork this morning that Arabian Gold had galloped well after the incident and is hopeful that the in-form filly will be able to take her place in the Queensland Oaks field this weekend.
“I’m a bit concerned, she pulled her shoe half off,” Vandyke said.
“Luckily we had some farrier tools here and I got the shoe off.
“She shifted the plate and the nail weren’t in a good position, but hopefully in the next 24 to 48 hours we won’t see any problem.
‘’We bandaged it up and she seemed to gallop well.”
Arabian Gold will be Vandyke’s first ever runner in the Queensland Oaks and she is taking exceptional form into the Group 1 event at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The three-year-old missed the placings in the first three starts of her autumn preparation, but scored her first race win since the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival when she took advantage of a wet track in the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on April 12.
Vandyke opted not to run Arabian Gold in the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Royal Randwick on April 19 and she was instead saved for the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at the same venue, which she won in good style after being given an excellent ride by jockey Damien Oliver.
Arabian Gold was taken to Brisbane for the Group 2 The Roses (2000m) at Doomben on May 17 and defied the pattern of the day to storm home from the middle of the field and scored a comfortable one and a half lengths victory from Tinto and Tornado Miss.
There are still 28 horses in contention for the Queensland Oaks and the final field and barrier draw will be released tomorrow afternoon; with a maximum of eighteen fillies and five emergencies to be included in the field.
