Matt Laurie‘s Wakeful winning filly Treasurethe Moment was too good again up to 2500m storming clear in a powerful performance to salute in Thursday’s 2024 VRC Oaks off a gun ride by Damian Lane at Flemington.
The airborne daughter of Alabama Express extended her spring winning streak to four on the trot, relishing the quick back-up off her Group 2 Wakeful win on Derby Day to steal the show in the Group 1 $1 million VRC Crown Oaks (2500m) on the third day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
“I can’t really put it into words. I’m still shaking. It was a painless watch. It is a dream to win a Group 1 in this week,” Laurie told the media post-victory.
“It is 20 years of work really trying to achieve something like this. I’m just so grateful to my team at home and to Team Yulong. They have supported me. This is a home–bred. To watch her progress to win a Group 1 is incredible.
“She is obviously very talented. She just aids herself in the way she just goes to sleep in the run. She conserves all her energy. She lets down. It was very painless.
“It’s a dream. We will celebrate long and hard I can guarantee that.”
In the 166th running of one of Australia’s oldest classic races, Treasurethe Moment was given a peach of a ride by Lane who settled fifth one of the fence in a lovely position throughout.
Killcare Beachgirl, who dropped out late to run a clear last, led the Oaks field around at a moderate pace with Lane happy to bide his time on the eventual winner.
In a repeat performance of the Wakeful, Treasurethe Moment tanked up like the winner a long way out, hitting the front with 200m to go and letting down in a blistering late turn of foot.
She quickly put them to bed overtaking the front runners without over-exerting to fly home the final 100m for a big Oaks victory as the $3.10 favourite in the markets.
“She is a beauty. Just kept improving this preparation. Matt said to me before I rode her last start, he thought that she was a really good horse in the making,” Lane said.
“She has proved them right. She is a bloody ripper.”
Making up ground and brave in defeat was the John Sargent-trained Powers Of Opal who tried her heart out chasing the winner home the closing stages, but she was no match for Treasurethe Moment.
In third completing the Crown Oaks trifecta was the Danny O’Brien-trained Ocean Park filly Hurry Curry, scratched from the Wakeful, but quick to atone with her Group 1 placing off a fifth in the Ethereal.
Treasurethe Moment became the latest filly to complete the Wakeful Stakes – VRC Oaks double joining the likes of Willowy (2021), Miami Bound (2019), Aristia (2018), Kirramosa (2013), Brazilian Pulse (2010), Faint Perfume (2009), and Serenade Rose (2005).
Crown Oaks 2024 Odds & Results
| Runner Details | Win | Place |
|---|---|---|
|
1st
1. Treasurethe Moment (12)
J: Damian Lane 56kg
T: Matt Laurie |
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|
2nd
5. Powers Of Opal (9)
J: James McDonald 56kg
T: J G Sargent |
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|
3rd
11. Hurry Curry (7)
J: Joao Moreira 56kg
T: Danny O'Brien |
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|
4th
3. Harlem Queen (5)
J: Blake Shinn 56kg
T: Nathan Doyle |
||
|
5th
6. Pleasure Artist (6)
J: Craig Williams 56kg
T: R & W Freedman |
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|
6th
2. Too Darn Discreet (3)
J: Michael Dee 56kg
T: Dan O'Sullivan |
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|
7th
12. Inevitable Truth (1)
J: Jye McNeil 56kg
T: J G Sargent |
||
|
8th
10. Noises (11)
J: Andrew Adkins 56kg
T: Brad Widdup |
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|
9th
4. Rag Queen (4)
J: Chad Schofield 56kg
T: David Payne |
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|
10th
13. Placid Pearl (14)
J: Ben Melham 56kg
T: Matthew Smith |
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|
11th
7. Talisay (8)
J: Billy Egan 56kg
T: Byron Cozamanis |
||
|
12th
8. Femminile (13)
J: Daniel Stackhouse 56kg
T: Phillip Stokes |
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|
13th
14. All Kinds Of Folk (10)
J: Luke Currie 56kg
T: John & Chris Ledger |
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|
14th
9. Killcare Beachgirl (2)
J: Tim Clark 56kg
T: G Waterhouse & A Bott |
Data retrieved: 18/11/2024 11:40:39 PM (Australia/Brisbane)
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Race comments
The Group 1 VRC Oaks. Keen to be with POWERS OF OPAL (5) who ran second in the G2 Wakeful on Saturday which is traditionally the best Oaks platform. She was backed off the map there and loomed up as the winner but couldn't reel in the winner off a slow tempo. She looks ideally suited to 2500m now and can exact revenge. HARLEM QUEEN (3) comes through the G1 Spring Champion, finishing fourth there. That form was okay in the Derby and she must be respected with Shinn booked. TREASURETHE MOMENT (1) won the Wakeful on Saturday and wasn't stopping late at all. Tricky draw but she's hard to knock. PLEASURE ARTIST (6) was fifth in the Spring Champion and has claims while RAG QUEEN (4) could be an improver to 2500m.