Thursday's G1 VRC Crown Oaks was billed to be a virtual walkover for dual Group 1 winner and Cox Plate third Yankee Rose (Aus) (All American {Aus}), but Lasqueti Spirit (Aus) (Beneteau {Aus}) reminded the Flemington faithful that in racing anything is possible, breaking her maiden in the A$1-million feature on the front end at 100-1. Sitting third and wide the first time past the stands, Lasqueti Spirit and Brenton Avdulla took matters into their own hands on the backstretch, taking over the running and opening up an eight-length advantage while setting a stiff pace by the time they hit the final bend. Lasqueti Spirit looked briefly in danger at the top of the stretch, with her lead shortened to three lengths as she came under a ride, but her rivals never got any closer, and she ultimately ran out a 3 3/4-length winner under wraps, with Avdulla given plenty of time to celebrate before the wire. Harlow Gold (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) was a fast-finishing second, while Yankee Rose, traveling near the rear throughout, never rallied and beat one home.
Thursday, Flemington, Australia
VRC OAKS-G1, A$1,005,000, VRC, 11-03, 3yo, f, Open Set Weight, 2500mT, 2:37.73, Good.
1–&@#LASQUETI SPIRIT, 55.5, f, 3, by Beneteau
1st Dam: Supriym Story, by General Nediym
2nd Dam: Grand Story, by Grand Lodge (USA)
3rd Dam: Explanation, by County (AUS)
(A$150,000 Ylg 2015 MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale) O-Mystery
Downs (Mgr: F W Cook), Mrs C M Cook, A R Davison, Ms C E
Curtis, R Croad, B Djura & M J Fenech; B-S J E Family Trust
QLD; T-L W Curtis; J-B Avdulla; A$605,000. Lifetime Record:
10-1-1-3, A$635,620. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Harlow Gold (NZ), 55.5, f, 3, Tavistock (NZ)–Belongs in Lights,
by Belong to Me (USA). (NZ$200,000 Ylg 2015 NZB National
Yearling Sale) O-Wylie Dalziel Roy Higgins Racing (W Dalziel) P
Sambor, Ms J Aldous, T Urwin, Wagu Racing (A Aarons), Ms M
Smith-Beale, D Todd, Oaksbound (A Winwood), J Blacker,
Snow Road Thoroughbreds; B-T G Heptinstall & T M Pivac,
Central, NZ; T-D & B Hayes & T Dabernig; J-Regan Bayliss;
A$180,000.
3–Eleonora (NZ), 55.5, f, 3, Makfi (GB)–Sopra Tutto (NZ), by Van
Nistelrooy (USA). (NZ$60,000 Ylg 2015 NZB National Yearling
Sale) O-Dame Lowell Goddard & Jml Bloodstock Ltd (Mgr: L
Petagna); B-Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd, Waikato, NZ; T-M
Baker & A Forsman; J-D Oliver; A$90,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: 3 3/4, 1HF, 3. Odds: 100.00, 6.00, 8.00.
Also Ran: Peeking Duck, Missrock, Smart as You Think, Bella Sorellastra, Nina Peak, Moqueen, My Girl Chilly, Penthouse Kitten (NZ), Sebring Dream, Red Velvet Swing, Yankee Rose, Lamma Hilton.
Click for the Racing Post result.
Rosehill-based trainer Lee Curtis, who purchased Lasqueti Spirit for A$150,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, admitted he bought the filly with the G1 Golden Slipper in mind, she being by the late sprinter Beneteau (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) out of a daughter of another smart sprinter in General Nediym (Aus). Lasqueti Spirit went winless in three tries at two; however, Curtis said he discovered she lacked the turn of foot to be a sprinter after her third in the Listed Fernhill H. over a mile in April, and he turned his sights to the Oaks. Curtis gradually built the filly up in distance over a busy 3-year-old campaign that saw her make six starts in 11 weeks prior to Thursday. She came closest to victory when second by a nose in a 2000-metre Hawkesbury maiden Oct. 9, and was a last-out fourth, beaten a half-length, in a 2400-metre Kembla Grange plate race Oct. 22.
“We had a lot of confidence in her,” Curtis said. “She lacks a turn of foot but she's got class and every other aspect at home.”
“This is the race we set her for,” he added. “We built her up in distance. We went 1200 [metres], 1400, 1600, 1800 and then she had the run over 2400 and that's hardened her to be right for today.” Of the tactics, Curtis said, “We had nothing to lose. We were 150 or 200-1 and one bloke got 500-1 about her. We could afford to take a gamble and ride her a bit silly and if it came off we were geniuses.”
Curtis also credited part-owners Francis and Christine Cook of Mystery Downs, who bought the filly and leased half to various stable clients of Lee's.
“Big credit to Frank and Christine,” Curtis said. “They've been so good to me. I can't describe it. It's just thrilling. It's what we strive for. It's what we get out of bed for. I'm really humbled.”
Francis Cook added, “It was our plan to go forward. It was Brenton's plan, it was Lee's plan and it was my plan. We thought she would run the 2500 [metres] so let's make it a true staying test. It's an unbelievable thrill.”
Pedigree Notes…
Lasqueti Spirit is from the second and last crop of Beneteau, who won the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude and finished third in the G1 Blue Diamond but died in January 2013 due to a neurological condition. Beneteau has produced six stakes winners from 85 starters, including the stakes-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Weatherly (Aus), and Lasqueti Spirit is his first Group 1 winner. She is the third living foal out of Supriym Story, and is a half-sister to two other winners as well as a yearling colt by Albrecht (Aus). Supriym Story is a half-sister to stakes winner My Destiny (Aus) (Stratum {Aus}) and to the dam of G1 Doomben Cup winner Mr Bureaucrat (Aus). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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