The Kris Lees-trained Amokura capped off her spectacular first profession preparation stepping up notably in grade to submit a powerful upset within the 2023 Queensland Oaks outcomes at Eagle Farm.
Damien Oliver (pictured in Sydney) posted his 128th profession Group 1 aboard Amokura within the 2023 Queensland Oaks. Photograph: Steve Hart.
Lees celebrated his second success within the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival function 18 years after his first with Vitesse Dane again in 2005.
This time he took out the $700,000 Group 1 with untapped Kermadec filly Amokura ($8) who was making not solely her elite stage however her Black-Sort racing debut within the 2200m function.
After an almost eight size win at dwelling at Newcastle over 1850m two again, Lees knew he had a real Oaks contender on his arms.
He introduced Amokura as much as the sunshine state final begin the place she received over 1800m on the Sunny Coast by two lengths to make the reduce for the Oaks.
“Properly they will come from nowhere in an Oaks,” Lees informed Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“She put the writing on the wall with a win at Newcastle by an enormous margin.
“Received Ollie to return up and trip her, and the remainder is historical past.”
Oliver gave the eventual Queensland Oaks winner a perfectly-timed run regardless of Amokura getting away just a little late from the within alley.
“She bought additional again than we have been considering from the great draw,” Lees stated.
“However he (Oliver) weaved a passage and bought the job completed.
“All alongside she gave us the impression she’d recover from floor.”
From barrier one Oliver was in a position to preserve power and he was on the one filly travelling on the flip.
He weaved his approach by way of the sector down the straight tackling the front-runners and kicking clear for a one-and-a-half-length victory over 100/1 exterior Reo who was enormous in second having briefly hit the entrance.
In third to finish the Queensland Oaks trifecta was the Les Kelly-trained Maurice filly from the Gold Coast Noah ‘N’ A Deel ($21) who completed simply forward of the crushed favorite as Bjorn Baker‘s Renaissance Girl ($3.90F) got here from third final on the flip to run fourth.
After having fun with three straight wins Amokura will now head out to the paddock returning for her second marketing campaign within the spring with some potential large targets on the agenda.
“First prep, she’s going to get a nicely deserved break after which we’ll reassess her from there,” Lees stated.
