Australia’s best performed maiden Oohood will have the blinkers back on when she lines up in the Group 2 $200,000 Darley Furious Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Oohood ran second to Estijaab, above, in the 2018 Golden Slipper at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.

Oohood ran second to Estijaab, above, in the 2018 Golden Slipper at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.

Oohood is the winner of over $1 million in prizemoney from seven race starts, has been Group 1 placed on three occasions during her two year old season but is yet to salute the judge in first place.

The Tony McEvoy trained Oohood sported the blinkers when second to Estijaab in the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill during the 2018 Sydney Autumn Carnival and again two weeks later when runner up to El Dorado Dreaming in the  Group 1 $1m Inglis Sires’ (1400m) at Randwick on day one of The Championships.

The I Am Invincible filly resumed from a spell without the blinkers for a fifth to Fiesta in the Group 2 $200,000 Darley Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 18 but a change of heart from McEvoy will see the hood go back on the filly in the Furious Stakes.

“I’m putting the blinkers back on her and she’ll run a much improved race on Saturday,” McEvoy said.

“She ran in the Slipper in the blinkers. I just thought she was getting a bit aggressive in them and I took them off, and I think it probably backfired a bit on me.

“So it’s time for them to go back on.”

“She’s improved and her coat is starting to come.”

Oohood has drawn barrier two in the Furious Stakes field that has been reduced to twelve runners with the early scratching of the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Satin Slipper and will be ridden again by Tim Clark.

Pre-post betting for the Furious Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au has Oohood on the fourth line of betting at $6.50 behind Canterbury maiden winner Miss Fabulass at $3.40, the Team Snowden trained Pure Elation at $5 and Silver Shadow Stakes winner Fiesta at $6.

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.