Oaks girls’ day out

Last weekend’s racing was a big one for past Group 1 Oaks winners and their families.

The first race at Caulfield – 1700m for 3YOs heading towards the Group 1 Victoria Derby – featured only eight starters, but three of them are out of outstanding Oaks-winning mares and another is a half-brother to an Oaks winner.

The winner Mackadoo, another highly-promising son of Coolmore-stallion High Chaparral, is from the 1992 New Zealand Oaks winner Staring (by Fiesta Star). Staring, formerly trained by Murray Baker, who also trains Mackadoo in partnership with his son Bjorn, has been a disappointment at stud, including visiting the great Zabeel a few times, but she has clicked with High Chaparral.

Incidentally, High Chaparral had a memorable day, siring four winners, including the sensational So You Think (Group 1 Underwood Stakes, Caulfield) and the Gai Waterhouse-trained Descarado (Group 2 Hill Stakes, Rosehill).

First race runner-up Altius is by Redoute’s Choice from a Circles Of Gold (by Marscay), the great producing mare who won the 1994 AJC Australian Oaks. Circles Of Gold is a contrast to Staring in the breeding paddocks, as she has produced two outstanding international Group 1 winning colts in Elvstroem (by Danehill) and Haradasun (by Fusaichi Pegasus). Tony Vasil has trained all the progeny of Circles Of Gold.

Fourth home was the only filly in the race, Dizlago (pictured at Lee Freedman’s Markdel stables), a daughter of Encosta De Lago and the 2005 AJC Oaks winner Dizelle (by Danehill). Dizlago, who is bound for the VRC Oaks, is trained by Freedman, who trained Dizlago’s granddam Danelagh to win a Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.

Trailing the field was Seventh Bullet, a racy son of Shamardal and the Bite The Bullet mare Beat The Bullet, the dam of the 2004 Group 1 Oaks winner Hollow Bullet. Seventh Bullet over-raced in front before tiring badly, but he has shown considerable promise. The challenge is for trainer John McArdle to get his head right for him to be a Derby contender.

In Sydney, the 2003 VRC Oaks winner Special Harmony had a red-letter day when two of her offspring won at Rosehill. The very stylish Slater (by Redoute’s Choice) won the opening race for 3YOs, while her Stakes-winning daughter Little Surfer Girl (by Encosta De Lago), winner of the Listed Reginald Allan Stakes (1400m, Randwick) last spring, won the benchmark-85 later at the meeting.

Who said the best race fillies leave their class on the racetrack?