Small Field to Run in Sydney Oaks

Race: Sydney Oaks – Grade I – $500,000
ID: 4295.5313
Track: Victoria (AUS)
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance: A mile and one half on the Turf

We’re across the globe this weekend in Victoria, Australia for the running of a few high caliber races this weekend. The thirteenth race on the card, and the second biggest race of the day will go to the three-year-old fillies in the Sydney Oaks (G1). The highly prestigious race is open to three-year-old fillies only, offering up a purse of half a million dollars. The race will be run over the turf at a distance of a mile and a half. Last years’ Sydney Oaks (G1) was won by Artiste, owned and trained by super7. Afterwards, the filly went on to continue to win several graded stakes races. We’ll have an all new field this weekend though, as a brand new pack of three-year-olds take center stage. It should be nice and sunny for most of this week, however some showers will be coming into the area early on Saturday. Luckily, these will just be periods of light drizzling and will not affect the track condition. With the racing stage set, a total of seven fillies have entered to run in the Sydney Oaks (G1) this weekend. Let’s take a look at the competition that will be running.

1. Ghosts Cry (IRE) – (Invincible Spirit (IRE) x Street Cry (IRE) x El Gran Senor) – funster of Theatrical Stables – R. Kowalkowski – 5/1

Making her fifth start over the turf, this three-year-old filly is out of the stakes placed broodmare Streeting Away (IRE). The Irish-bred brown filly has had two lifetime wins in a period of thirteen lifetime starts, that have, for the most part, come over the dirt. The filly will be making her third consecutive turf start this weekend. Her most recent start was The Penelope Cruz (G3) over ten and a half furlongs in France. The brown filly was off towards the rear of the field out of the gate, and once urged forward in the stretch, began to make her move. She would come up short through, finishing eight and a half lengths off the pace in fifth. She did set one of her best speed figures of her career during this race, a ninety-one. Her most recent win was last September during an eight furlong allowance race over the dirt. She won this race by two lengths after breaking just off the pace. For her start this weekend, she will likely be sitting off the pace towards the rear of the field.

2. Cold Empire – (Empire Maker x Wild Again x Cozzene) – larksfarms of Bigrick Stables – D. Dowell – 2/1

Out of the stakes-winning broodmare Annie Adan, the brown filly has made ten lifetime starts. Out of the Kentucky-breds ten starts have come three lifetime wins. The brown three-year-old has made her last few starts nearby in New Zealand. Her last start came last month in the New Zealand Oaks (G2) over twelve furlongs. The filly, breaking near the rear of the pack, quickly started to gain ground on the rest of the field. She wold eventually come home in the stretch to finish second, off the pace by a quarter of a length. The filly set a lifetime best speed figure in this race, a one hundred four. Prior to this start, the filly started in the Royalty Stakes (G3), also in New Zealand, where she would win impressively by three and a half lengths in the ten furlong race. The brown filly will almost undoubtedly be held towards the rear of the field this weekend, though she should start picking off other horses fairly early in the race.

3. Loop The Field (ENG) – (Dubai Destination x Seeking The Gold x Metfield) – themainman of The Big Oil Conglomerate – B. Couzens – 9/1

Getting into the race with no stakes points to her credit, the three-year-old will be starting in her first graded stakes race this weekend in the Sydney Oaks (G1). The brown filly is out of the graded placed broodmare Fields Of Gold, and has won three races out of nine lifetime starts. The English-bred filly made her most recent start during a mile long allowance race in Newmarket, England. The filly broke close to the lead during the race and held her position throughout, finishing second, back off the pace by a length and three quarters. She set a speed figure of eighty-nine for this race. Her only stakes start came last month over a good turf track in Tasmania. The started in The Imperial Habitat Special, a listed stakes race over nine furlongs, in which she would finish ninth, back off the pace by sixteen lengths, obviously not a fan of the off track or the step up in class. Her most recent win was this past February during a nine furlong allowance race. The filly will likely be somewhat placed on the pace this Saturday, probably back no further than fourth out of the gate.

4. Reed Road – (Henrythenavigator x Pleasant Colony x Roberto) – worldwide of More Evil Than The Evil Empire – D. Evans – 5/2

The blue-blooded filly has made seven lifetime starts so far in her career, brining home over half a million dollars in career earnings for far for her owner/trainer. The impressive Kentucky-bred has won four races in her lifetime, finishing second in another two, leaving her only one race in which she has not finished on the board. The filly will be shipping in from New Zealand this weekend after making a start last month in the New Zealand Oaks (G2). The filly burst out of the gate on the lead at the break during this race, and eventually went on to win the twelve furlong race in wire to wire fashion. Victorious by a quarter of a length, the filly set a lifetime best speed figure during the race of one hundred four. She’s won one other graded start during her career, The Saint Cloud (G1), as a two-year-old. The filly will probably be forwardly placed this weekend, likely on the lead or very close to it out of the gate.

5. Hope Of Kingdoms – (Unbridled’s Song x Northern Dancer x Seattle Slew) – fairhaven7 of The Empire – J. Garcia – 7/1

Shipping in from across the ocean, the Kentucky-bred filly will have to adapt to her shipping in from Canada this weekend. The light gray filly has made eight career starts, winning five of these races. Despite the fillies impressive race record, she’s made only two starts in graded stakes races. Her most recent start came in the District of Columbia during the Appalooza Stakes, a listed stakes race over a mile on the turf. The filly broke towards the middle of the pack out of the gate during this race that was held last month. She started to gain some ground later on, but would finish two and three quarter lengths back off the pace to finish fourth. Her most recent win was in January during an allowance race over seven furlongs in the United States. Her only two graded stakes starts came in the Breeders’ Bowl Juvy Turf (G1) in which the filly floundered in thirteenth, and in The JPMC Jessamine (G1), in which the filly snuck up in the final strides to win in a photo finish. The filly will likely be settled back towards the middle of the pack on Saturday, probably not making a move until the field enters the final turn.

6. Faldo (JPN) – (Falbrav (IRE) x El Prado (IRE) x Theatrical (IRE) – cmd3 of Cmd Stables – J. Cox – 9/2

Yet another filly who is coming out of a run in the New Zealand Oaks (G2), the light gray filly has won three races throughout her thirteen lifetime career starts. Like many of the fillies running this weekend, she made her most recent start in nearby New Zealand. The filly broke towards the rear of the field in the twelve furlong race, but quickly started to pick off the other runners early on. She would eventually finish third with a speed figure of one hundred one, a lifetime best speed figure for the Japanese-bred filly. The homebred last won a race in January during a nine furlong allowance race, in which she was victorious by three and a half lengths. The filly is a versatile runner, though she’ll probably want to be running towards the back half of the field this weekend.

Jenny’s Song – (Johannesburg x Medaglia D’Oro x Unbridled’s Song) – aggots of Briant Breeding & Racing Empire – J. Kohlmorgen – 8/1

Last into the starting gate this weekend, the brown homebred filly is out of the stakes winning broodmare Jenny And The Bets. With ten lifetime starts, the Kentucky-bred filly has won two times and has proven to be fairly consistent in her races to date. She will have a bit of a new challenge this weekend though as the filly takes on a graded stakes caliber field for the first time in her career. She made her most recent start in The Lucus Augusti (IRE) Challenge, a listed stakes race over nine and a half furlongs in Surrey, England. The filly broke sharply and went straight to the lead in the race, but ended up fading on the stretch to finish two and a quarter lengths behind in second. Her previous race, a nine and a half furlong allowance race, was won by two and a quarter lengths. Her lifetime best speed figure came in her most recent stakes start in England, and resulted in a ninety-two. She will likely be a pace factor this weekend, and will almost definitely be leading the back out of the gate on Saturday.

Flrancho’s Picks
Win: Reed Road
Place: Cold Empire
Show: Faldo (JPN)