First acceptances for Saturday week’s Queensland Oaks 2016 are now out with just 26 fillies still in the mix for the mile and a half classic at Eagle Farm Racecourse on June 4.
The Roses winner Kebede is one of 26 fillies paid up for at first acceptance stage for the 2016 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm on June 4. Photo: Daniel Costello.
The first elite level run at Eagle Farm this Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, the $500,000 Group 1 Treasury Casino & Hotel Queensland Oaks (2400m) originally attracted 108 three-year-old fillies at nomination stage in early May.
That number was cut to 26 at first declaration stage this week.
Sitting top of the all-in Queensland Oaks odds at Ladbrokes.com.au is the Bjorn Baker-trained Imposing Lass who won the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) two back.
She retains her $6 favouritism in futures Queensland Oaks betting despite the daughter of Makfi running third in the Group 2 The Roses (2000m) at Doomben last Saturday.
The Roses has produced four of the past five Queensland Oaks winners, including the last to complete the double – Scarlett Lady (2011).
This year’s The Roses winner Kebede is also among the Queensland Oaks first acceptances, the Matthew Dunn-trained daughter of Redoute’s Choice paying a generous $11 to get the job done in the Group 1 next start.
She ran third in the Gold Coast Bracelet before her Group 2 success in Brisbane where she had a neck to spare on the line in her first run over further than 1800m.
Runner-up in The Roses was Sebring filly Sebring Sally for Chris Waller who won last year’s Queensland Oaks with subsequent turf champion Winx (2015).
Waller has a total of three Queensland Oaks-bound fillies still in the mix this carnival led by Sebring Sally.
His other first acceptors are the consistent Fastnet Rock filly Mount Omei last seen winning over 200m at Kembla Grange on May 14 and Firebird Flyer who remains a maiden after eight career starts.
Following Imposing Lass in the pre-field Queensland Oaks markets at $7 is Provocative, a Kiwi raider from the Cambridge stables of Tony Pike.
The daughter of staying sire Zabeel debuted down under on May 18 and won by 2.3 lengths over 2190m at Ipswich.
Following closely at a current quote of $8 each are then the Clarry Conners-trained Dawnie Perfect and Falkenberg for Peter & Paul Snowden.
Conners has prepared two previous Queensland Oaks winners with Zagalia (2003) and Allow (2006), his best hope at a third victory being Big Brown filly Dawnie Perfect who ran fifth in the Bracelet and sixth in The Roses.
Co-trainer of Falkenberg, Peter Snowden is also a former Queensland Oaks winning horseman having won with Purple in 2009.
He and son Paul have three current Oaks hopes still in the mix with More Than Ready filly Falkenberg, seventh in The Roses last time out beaten three lengths, joined by stablemates Self Esteem and Tap This.
Stratum filly Self Esteem is a $10 chance in betting, nice odds after the ATC Oaks performed filly ran second in the GC Bracelet and fourth in The Roses.
Tap This meanwhile is at $15 for the Queensland Oaks win after the Tapit grey ran fifth behind favourite for the 2016 Queensland Derby, Mackintosh, in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) a fortnight ago.
The other top Oaks fancy according to the bookies is Romantic Maid ($9), another New Zealand-trained visitor.
Roger James, who prepared the 2000 Queensland Oaks winner Giovana, trains the last start Randwick winning daughter of High Chaparral.
Sitting top of the Queensland Oaks ballot meanwhile are Ambience (1st) and Chabaud (2nd) prepared by John O’Shea and Robert Smerdon respectively.
Street Cry filly Ambience was runner-up to Sofia Rosa in the Group 1 ATC Oaks (2400m) back in early April, but was well beaten when 12th to Kebde in The Roses.
Chabaud comes via a different path, the Lookin At Lucky filly also an ATC Oaks graduate having run fifth in the Sydney classic defeated just 1.6 lengths.
She raced over 2000m Flemington next run for a close fourth before a last start victory in the Group 3 SA Fillies Classic (2500m) at Morphettville in Adelaide.
See below for the full Queensland Oaks 2016 first acceptances and latest order of entry, futures betting on the event open now at Ladbrokes.com.au.
2016 Queensland Oaks First Acceptances & Ballot
Eagle Farm Racecourse – 04/06/2016
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1313×85020 | AMBIENCE | F | 3 | John O’Shea | 1 | 56.5kg |
| 2 | 0334116541 | CHABAUD (NZ) | F | 3 | Robert Smerdon | 2 | 56.5kg |
| 3 | x82x111431 | KEBEDE | F | 3 | Matthew Dunn | 3 | 56.5kg |
| 4 | 21×1113 | IMPOSING LASS (NZ) | F | 3 | Bjorn Baker | 4 | 56.5kg |
| 5 | 212×444074 | BELUGA BLUE | F | 3 | Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas | 5 | 56.5kg |
| 6 | x25210x402 | SEBRING SALLY | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 6 | 56.5kg |
| 7 | 1×45124924 | SELF ESTEEM | F | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 7 | 56.5kg |
| 8 | 80×6673208 | ALASKAN ROSE (NZ) | F | 3 | Michael Moroney | 8 | 56.5kg |
| 9 | 46×5113260 | QUEEN OF WANDS | F | 3 | Clarry Conners | 9 | 56.5kg |
| 10 | 2314×00056 | DAWNIE PERFECT | F | 3 | Clarry Conners | 10 | 56.5kg |
| 11 | 092×804132 | ASHLEE MARIE | F | 3 | Richard Laming | 11 | 56.5kg |
| 12 | 22×121447 | FALKENBERG | F | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 12 | 56.5kg |
| 13 | 419×331 | TAVI BAY (NZ) | F | 3 | Henry Dwyer | 13 | 56.5kg |
| 14 | 25x58x1895 | TAP THIS | F | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 14 | 56.5kg |
| 15 | 114L31 | ROMANTIC MAID | F | 3 | Roger James | 15 | 56.5kg |
| 16 | 61055×660 | DULVERTON | F | 3 | Robert Smerdon | 16 | 56.5kg |
| 17 | 44×463371 | ZASORCERESS (NZ) | F | 3 | Jason Warren | 17 | 56.5kg |
| 18 | 4562141 | MOUNT OMEI | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 18 | 56.5kg |
| 19 | 1416×41 | PROVOCATIVE (NZ) | F | 3 | Tony Pike | 19 | 56.5kg |
| 20 | 60x622x316 | SAHARA SIREN | F | 3 | Alan L Jones | 20 | 56.5kg |
| 21 | 7625×42521 | ESPRESSO SHOT | F | 3 | Patrick Webster | 21 | 56.5kg |
| 22 | 500×624360 | MERU | F | 3 | Pat Carey | 22 | 56.5kg |
| 23 | 10×091 | ZAFIKI (NZ) | F | 3 | Robert Smerdon | 23 | 56.5kg |
| 24 | 5335011 | MULTIMEDIA | F | 3 | Noel Doyle | 24 | 56.5kg |
| 25 | 6449711×3 | NAUTILUS | F | 3 | Paul H Duncan | 25 | 56.5kg |
| 26 | 65097022 | FIREBIRD FLYER (NZ) | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 26 | 56.5kg |
