Sportingbet Fillies Classic winner Red Typhoon has booked herself a Queensland Oaks start after scoring an easy win at Morhphettville on Saturday.
Lucky jockey Luke Nolen picked up the winning ride on Red Typhoon in the 2500m Group 3 race for fillies when regular rider Glen Boss was held up getting to the course because of a flight delay.
Trainer Robert Smerdon will now turn his thoughts to Brisbane for the Group 1 $400,000 Treasury Casino Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 2 after his three year old filly ran out a strong 2500m to score by almost two lengths over Crimson Lady.
“Luke was a more than an able fill in,” Smerdon said after the win.
“We’re thinking about Queensland. This was her aim for the preparation, we went through the Australasian Oaks hoping. We draw a bad barrier there, went back, rode for luck, it didn’t come and we were pretty confident this was the right race for her.”
“But depending on today she might go to Queensland if she does alright and there’s no reason to think she won’t, so she could be in Queensland.”
Red Typhoon has had a good grounding heading towards the 2400m of the Queensland Oaks having had two runs over 2000m including a three and a quarter length eighth to Invest in the Group 1 $400,000 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on April 28 when held up for a run in the straight.
The Smerdon filly is now at $13 in Oaks betting which sees the New Zealand filly Miss Artistic heading the market order at $4.40.
The Gerald Ryan trained Angel Of Mercy has moved into equal second favourite at $5.50 with Scorpio Queen after an impressive win in the Channel Seven Benchmark 90 Handicap (1600m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Ryan started to map out an Oaks plan for Angel Of Mercy after she won the Listed $100,000 Sharp James H B Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 28 and will now clash with other Oaks contenders in the Group 3 $175,000 The Roses (2000m) at Doomben this week.
New Zealand Oaks winner Miss Artistic retained favouritism with a late finishing fourth to Scorpio Queen in the Listed $125,000 H Harvey Prestige Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) at the Gold Coast on May 5 indicating that she is on track for the Queensland Oaks.
The Shaune Richie trained filly has outstanding New Zealand form which includes the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 17 and will have the services of Queensland’s number one jockey Chris Munce who will stick with her in the Oaks after riding her at the Gold Coast.
