The two best performed staying fillies from Perth, Arcadia Dream and First Impressions, are among the nominations for the Group 1 $500,000 Treasury Casino & Hotel Queensland Oaks (2400m) to be run at Eagle Farm on June 4.
Ambience, above, is one of six fillies John O’Shea nominated for the Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm. Photo by Steve Hart.
One hundred and eight fillies were nominated for the Queensland Oaks which is going to be run on the reopening day of the new revamped Eagle Farm track.
Eagle Farm has been out of action since August 2014 for major track reconstruction which saw all but one Group 1 race, including the Queensland Oaks, being run at Doomben during the 2015 Winter Carnival.
The Brisbane racing fraternity is anxiously awaiting for racing to return to Eagle Farm and the Brisbane Racing Club has been rewarded with huge nominations for the Queensland Oaks.
The Grant Williams trained First Impressions scored an upset win over Arcadia Dream in the Group 3 $250,000 Kirin Megumi W.A. Oaks (2400m) at Ascot in Perth on April 2.
But Arcadia Dream was able to bounce back a fortnight later to win the Group 2 $400,000 Schweppes W.A.T.C. Derby (2400m) at Ascot.
As with other Brisbane Winter Carnival Group 1 races, leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller has strength in numbers with seven fillies being nominated.
Baubo, Chandana, Firebird Flyer, Hembrook, Mount Omei, Sebring Sally and Via Napoli make up Waller’s Queensland Oaks aspirants.
Six fillies from the Godolphin stable prepared by trainer John O’Shea, Ambience, Baveno, Diambra, Montignac, Raitza and Seltzer are among the Queensland Oaks nominations.
The well performed Ambience won the Group 2 $300,000 Mumm Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on the first day of the 2015 Melbourne Cup Carnival and then five days later ran third behind Jameka and Honesta in the Group 1 $1m Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington.
The Lindsay Park Team of David Hayes and Tom Dabernig also have a strong representation with five fillies among the nominations.
Concubine, Fair Isle, Lotta Sugar, Rock And Rose and Sacred Eye make up the Lindsay Park Queensland Oaks contingent.
The final field for the Queensland Oaks will be released on June 1, 2016.
