Kiwi fillies still alive in 2017 Australian Oaks 1st acceptances

Talented Kiwi fillies La Bella Diosa and Eleonora are among the first acceptances for the 2017 Group 1 $1m James Boag’s Premium Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick on April 8.

Kiwi filly La Bella Diosa, above, is among the first acceptances for the 2017 Australian Oaks at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Kiwi filly La Bella Diosa, above, is among the first acceptances for the 2017 Australian Oaks at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Sixty-nine fillies are still in contention for the Sydney Autumn Carnival’s Blue Riband staying contest for the three year old fillies on day two of ‘The Championships’.

La Bella Diosa surprised Rangiora trainers Mandy and Matt Brown with her win at her first Australian start on a heavy track in the Group 2 $200,000 Theraces.com.au Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on February 25.

The So You Think filly is set to have her second run on this side of the Tasman when she takes on the older mares in the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

“To be honest we didn’t expect her to win the way she did in the Surround and after that we thought going to Kembla was a wee bit of a step back being a Group Three and with the top weight,” Brown told AAP.

“We thought while we’re here why not have another go at a Group One?”

La Bella Diosa has already tasted a Group 1 victory when she beat the fillies in the NZ$300,000 NZ 1000 Guineas (16000m) at Riccarton Park in New Zealand on November 12.

Cambridge based trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman have also tasted success with Eleonora on Australian soil with a win in a 1300m Geelong Maiden two starts before taking out the Group 3 $150,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Ethereal Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival.

The Makfi filly then went on to run third behind Lasqueti Spirit in the Group 1 $1m Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington.

Baker and Forsman also have Bonneval and Nicoletta among the first acceptances for the Australian Oaks.

Quality filly Omei Sword is one five Chris Waller trained fillies listed in the first acceptances for the Australian Oaks, the other being Arazona, Dawn Wall, Foxplay and Naughty Thoughts.

Omei Sword has had one run back for the Autumn for a second to La Bella Diosa in the Surround Stakes and is also due to take her place in the Coolmore Classic while Foxplay and Dawn Wall will run in the Group 2 $200,000 Cellarbrations Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

2016 Crown Oaks first and second placegetters Lasqueti Spirit and Harlow Gold are also heading towards the Australian Oaks and are among the first acceptances.

Lasqueti Spirit is the only acceptor for Rosehill trainer Lee Curtis while Harlow Gold is joined by her Lindsay Park stablemates Bewildering, Domesticated, Lady Of Darkness, Miss Strathallan, Sebring Dream and So Belle.

Early market order for the Australian Oaks at Ladbrokes.com.au: $6 La Bella Diosa, $9 Eleonora, Omei Sword, Harlow Gold,$10 Lasqueti Spirit, $13 Bonneval$15 Dawn Wall, She Brings Joy, Foxplay, $17 French Fern, Nicoletta, Nurse Kitchen, That Rings A Bell, Ceylon, $21 Dame Margo Fonteyn, Devise, High Impulse, Wangaala, $26 or better the rest.

2017 Australian Oaks First Acceptances

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 0x2111 AHNDRAS F 3 Toby Edmonds
2 528×3 ALMALITA F 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
3 7×424 ARAMOANA (NZ) F 3 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
4 464×645 ARAZONA F 3 Chris Waller
5 5×1632 BEWILDERING F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
6 3×9 BLANCO CARA (NZ) F 3 John P Thompson
7 8x60x913x BLUE OCEAN F 3 Lee & Anthony Freedman
8 1x5P3x BONNEVAL (NZ) F 3 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman
9 0x73125x6 BRIDLE LANE F 3 John P Thompson 62
10 878x411x CAMBAGE F 3 Scott Singleton 68
11 15481 CASSADEE F 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 67
12 2131×7 CEYLON (NZ) F 3 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 64
13 081×413 CONCESSIONS F 3 Scott Singleton 66
14 5751 CONCISELY F 3 John P Thompson 63
15 0x11x DAME MARGO FONTEYN (NZ) F 3 Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards
16 13×6 DANCING HARE F 3 Lee & Anthony Freedman
17 511 DAWN WALL F 3 Chris Waller 71
18 61142x DEVISE (NZ) F 3 Shaune Ritchie
19 321827 DOMESTICATED F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
20 32x21013x2 ELEONORA (NZ) F 3 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman
21 431 FACE LIKE THUNDER F 3 Kris Lees 53
22 534×394852 FARAWAY TOWN F 3 Matthew Smith 76
23 28x32327x1 FLEETING STRYKE F 3 Theresa Bateup 62
24 212x114x24 FOXPLAY F 3 Chris Waller 92
25 x954750x21 FROMPARIS WITHLOVE F 3 Leon & Troy Corstens
26 x611562x34 HARLOW GOLD (NZ) F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 94
27 431 HIGH IMPULSE F 3 James Cummings 64
28 7343×6 HOLD ALL TICKETS F 3 Scott Aspery
29 6080×536 KAMILI F 3 Pat Carey
30 5144×22 KARAVALI (NZ) F 3 Kris Lees 70
31 14x3111x1 LA BELLA DIOSA (NZ) F 3 Mandy & Matt Brown 92
32 2×42 LA CHATTE F 3 John O’Shea
33 2167 LADY EVELYN F 3 Jason Deamer 52
34 6 LADY OF DARKNESS F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
35 2741600×36 LAMMA HILTON F 3 Anthony & Edward Cummings 62
36 6538241×02 LASQUETI SPIRIT F 3 Lee Curtis 104
37 02×3 LILYMORN (NZ) F 3 Michael Moroney
38 16x2231x55 LUBITON F 3 Bjorn Baker 71
39 936×14 MISS STRATHALLAN F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
40 x1x66735x1 MISSROCK F 3 Robbie Laing 81
41 522x435x21 MONTOYA’S SECRET F 3 Leon & Troy Corstens
42 5435149×70 MOQUEEN F 3 Anthony & Edward Cummings 71
43 62 MULL OVER F 3 James Cummings
44 55×2715 NAUGHTY THOUGHTS F 3 Chris Waller 62
45 724151x NICOLETTA (NZ) F 3 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman
46 1x01x7 NURSE KITCHEN (NZ) F 3 David Brideoake 82
47 129x12x2 OMEI SWORD F 3 Chris Waller 92
48 9231×99481 PARTHESIA (NZ) F 3 Darren Weir
49 050×442613 PEGAPUS F 3 Scott Morrisey
50 36×931 PERFECT RHYME F 3 Ron Leemon 63
51 755×358181 PERILOUS LOVE F 3 Scott Morrisey
52 7×0 POET’S EDITION F 3 Kerry Parker
53 43x81x3x PYGMY F 3 John O’Shea 62
54 65×32 ROCK GISELLE F 3 Lee & Anthony Freedman
55 1x556520x1 SEBRING DREAM F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 77
56 6x911x7 SEDANZER F 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 67
57 4×673161 SHE’S MAGICAL F 3 Gregory Hickman 62
58 24×1 SIREN’S FURY F 3 Jason Coyle 64
59 8421×3 SO BELLE F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
60 3x10x1 SOGNANI F 3 Michael Moroney
61 2×21 THE PINNACLE F 3 Peter & Paul Snowden 67
62 4×2 THINK LIKE A BIRD F 3 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
63 9444×13 TOFFEE NOSE F 3 Danny O’Brien
64 44x411x334 UP THE TEMPO F 3 John & Chris Meagher
65 2×5 WAKING MOMENT F 3 John P Thompson
66 7×21 WANGAALA F 3 Danny O’Brien
67 1513 WHEAL LEISURE F 3 Archie Alexander
68 067 ZAMBESIA F 3 Pat Carey
69 0x4311x97 ZENALICIOUS F 3 Les Bridge 75

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.