Scarlet Oak books Queensland Oaks ticket
Exciting filly Scarlet Oak became the eighth stakes-winner for Darley’s resident stallion Kermadec (Teofilo) and was propelled to favouritism to become his fifth top-tier victor next start when she took out Saturday’s ANZ Bloodstock News sponsored The Roses (Gr 2, 2000m) at Doomben.
The New Zealand-bred is also in line to become Kermadec’s second successive Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m) winner in that next outing, following Amokura’s success last year. After her Roses win, Scarlet Oak was wound in to as short as $3 for the $700,000 Oaks at Eagle Farm on June 8.
Sent out a $3.60 favourite, the Chris Waller-trained Scarlet Oak was afforded a near-perfect ride from James McDonald. After settling fifth on the fence from gate five of 16, she squeezed through an opening at the 250 metres and extended inside the last 150 metres to hold out the fast finish to her inside of $31 stablemate Mare Of Mt Buller (Dundeel) and win by 0.3 lengths.
The fifth winner from as many runners out of Melbourne and Sydney city victor Tactless (Commands), Scarlet Oak has now won her past two of three starts since being brought to Australia in a private purchase by managing owner Ozzie Khier, after a debut Matamata maiden win in March.
In her first Australian start, she stepped up from that maiden outing to run second in Randwick’s James H B Carr Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m), before comfortably taking a 1600-metre Benchmark 72 at Gosford’s Saturday metro class Cup meeting, held at Newcastle.
That win forced her Queensland Oaks price to be slashed from $15 to $6 second-favourite. After underlining her immense potential on Saturday, those odds were halved.
A delighted Waller said Scarlet Oak may have been a late bloomer, debuting as a three-year-old in March, but appeared set for a bountiful future, as he confirmed the Oaks as her next mission.
“That’s the beauty of Australian racing. You’ve got it 52 weeks of the year and you can take advantage of it with a late developer and a rising star,” he said after The Roses.
“I was eyeing her off on the TV, watching her win in New Zealand. Ozzie Kheir purchased her out of New Zealand from Ken [and Bev] Kelso, who is a trainer I respect and I spoke to him.
“He said she is the real deal but needs a bit of furnishing. The best is yet to come.
“She is taking it all in her stride and that is the only reason she is still up here because she does need time. She’s eating everything and enjoying it. No signs of stress and we’ll push on in two weeks.”
The 12-year-old Kermadec won his two top-flight wins over 1600 metres in Randwick’s Doncaster (Gr 1, 1600m) and George Main Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) and was moved from Darley’s Hunter Valley base to their Northwood Park farm in 2021 to appease more staying-minded breeders in Victoria.
Judging by his progeny, it’s easy to see why.
His Group 1 winners to stakes-winners ratio of four from eight is exceptional – albeit from a small sample size – and the quartet features three staying females: Oaks winners Amokura (Queensland) and Willowy (VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m)), and four-time top-level heroine Montefilia, whose marquee victories ranged from the 1600 metres of the Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) as an emerging three-year-old to the 2400 metres of the ATC The Metropolitan (Gr 1, 2400m).
And yet McDonald suspects the $16,500 (inc GST) stallion’s latest emerging star, while the Queensland Oaks favourite, may not be such a stayer, and may be better suited to the 1600 metres at which his dam won at Caulfield and Warwick Farm.
“I think she’ll come back faster next prep. She feels like a miler to me, but she is extremely talented, and her talent is really going to have to shine through in two weeks,” McDonald said.
“It was a little bit hairy at the top of the straight. I was squeezed for room. She’s got an extremely good acceleration to her and I actually genuinely believe that if she got a dry track then she’s going to excel.”
Tactless, who has also thrown dual Sydney city 1400-metre winner Catapult (Medaglia d’Oro) has a yearling colt by Contributer (High Chaparral) and a weanling colt by Tarzino (Tavistock), and was covered last spring by Profondo (Deep Impact).
Scarlet Oak had been entered for the Karaka Yearling Sale of 2022, but was withdrawn.
Kelly Schweida-trained bolter Miss Joelene (Russian Revolution) took third on Saturday, 0.73 lengths behind Scarlet Oak, to gain her first slice of black type, amid eight attempts in 14 career starts.
New Zealand raider Molly Bloom (Ace High) – also sporting Kheir’s colours – made ground from the rear to take fifth as a $4 second-favourite.
Tutta La Vita (The Autumn Sun) was sent out a $6 chance in her first run since being bought by American John Stewart’s Resolute Racing at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale for $3.2 million.
In what was also her first race since taking fifth in the ATC Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) on April 13, she made some ground from the back, was tightened a little for room early in the straight, and ran a middling eighth, beaten four lengths. She will likely appreciate the extra 200 metres of the Queensland Oaks, for which she’s a $15 chance.
Molly Bloom was wound in to $4 second-favouritism for the Oaks after Saturday’s effort, with ATC Oaks winner Autumn Angel (The Autumn Sun) and Mare Of Mt Buller next at $8.