Matt Laurie continued his outstanding clean-up in the Group 1 Sydney races this autumn with the stable’s flying filly Treasurethe Moment securing her eighth win on the trot when saluting as the odds-on favourite in Saturday’s 2025 Australian Oaks results.

Laurie enjoyed success with the same filly in the rescheduled Vinery Stud Stakes this season before taking out last weekend’s Inglis Sires’ with Vinrock and then adding the Group 1 $1 million Australian Oaks (2400m) to his glowing CV.

The stable’s ace daughter of Alabama Express went around at a short $1.55 quote in today’s opening Group 1 after dominating all three starts this prep to become the first to complete the Vinery / ATC Oaks double since Hungry Heart (2021).

She also enjoyed a super spring campaign last year including victory in Flemington’s Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) giving her a rare interstate double.

“I was pretty nervous about today,” Laurie admitted to Sky Thoroughbred Central.

“I mean, small field and, you know, often they can be a bit kind of messy. It was sort of slow to watch.

“Didn’t have a great deal of cover at times, was on the wrong lead. Then they all came off the turn. She was under siege.

“We haven’t seen that for a while and to see her dig deep in the concluding stages, just an incredible effort and I couldn’t be prouder of the horse and the team to help get it to this point.

“I knew she’d keep coming. Her work’s just been incredible. The last month has been unbelievable. I’m not sure whether we’ll be coming to this sort of distance range anytime soon.

“Damian (Lane) will give us a good guide on the following preparation, but I’m obviously just a bit emotional about the last few months.

“Well, I think certainly a race with a bit more pace on, when you have small fields, there’s a likelihood that you’re going to get that lesser sort of pace.

“She’s got an incredible heart, so it’s a great story. I mean, I don’t know many that have gone right through from winning the Wakeful to winning today, but I guess there wouldn’t be too many of them.

“I’ve got full faith in the horse, and we’ll just enjoy this preparation and what she’s achieved, I’m sure she’ll come back with a bang next time.

“You have a plan, but you don’t expect things to go the way you dream. To have it work out the way it has for us is just unbelievable. We had four races mapped out for her to win and to do it, is just amazing.”

Jockey Damian Lane continued his successful association aboard the now three-time elite level champion in the Australian Oaks on Day 2 of The Championships at Randwick.

After settling midfield on the hot top-fancy, Lane peeled four out around the turn for home to begin to chase down the front running roughie Sun ‘N’ Sand.

Barbara Joseph and Paul & Matt Jones‘ Pride Of Dubai filly Sun ‘N’ Sand, on the quick back-up off a Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes fourth last weekend, was so brave leading the field nearly all-the-way.

At the 250m it was Sun ‘N’ Sand looking for a blowout result going stride for stride with Kris Lees‘ also brave You Wahng who was third in the Adrian Knox seven days prior.

Those two locked horns a furlong out before the class filly in the race, Treasurethe Moment, lifted late getting to the front inside the final 50m to just run down Sun ‘N’ Sand ($51) and salute narrowly for the punters.

“Yeah, she’s a beauty, she’s a pleasure to ride, she got me out of a bit of a sticky spot at the top of the straight,” Lane said.

“The leader really sprinted well, and I probably gave her a bit too much leeway and had a bit of ground to make up.

“She ended up knuckling down when it counted, just those real good special horses, just find a way.”

“With 100m to go, she knuckled down and when those in front were getting tired, she just found the line.”

You Wahng ($21) held for third while the New Zealand Oaks winning filly from the Chris Waller stable, Leica Lucy ($4.20), did her best work late to run into fourth under a length beaten in a big effort in her Australian race debut.

“She is now Group 1 placed. Kris Lees and stable have done a great job on a seven-day turnaround in this distance, this grade. She went so good,” jockey Craig Williams said of the third-placed You Wahng.

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