When Rose Of Kingston won that first edition of the race in 1982, run at Group 3 level, it continued her on a path which would see her crowned Australian Racehorse of the Year for that season, one of only two 3-year-old fillies ever to achieve that honour.
Her profile helped the race, initially held in February, to reach Group 1 status the following year, setting it up to become a premier target for the top fillies around the country to achieve black type and stamp their credentials as potential broodmares.
Indeed, the David Hains-owned star would go on and pave the way in that regard as well, as the dam of 1990 G1 Melbourne Cup winner Kingston Rule (USA), as well as Group 3 winner Rose Of Portland (USA) (Seattle Slew {USA}).
Over the course of the first 29 editions of the Australasian Oaks, 14 of the winners would later go on to produce stakes winners of their own, seven of them with progeny that would emulate their own Group 1-winning feats.
Elite performers into elite producers
The most recent of the Group 1 producers is 2007 winner Anamato (Redoute's Choice), a globetrotter who would join the Godolphin broodmare band and produce current Group 1 winning-star Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}). She has also produced the Irish stakes winner Anamba (GB) (Shamardal {USA}).
Anamato when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
In 2000, Grand Echezeaux (NZ) gave Zabeel (NZ) the first of his two winners in the race and a young Craig Williams his first Group 1 winner, scoring with authority for trainer Lee Freedman.
She would make a considerable mark as a broodmare through a couple of sources. The first was Darci Brahma (NZ), the son of Danehill (USA), who would win five Group 1 races, four in New Zealand and one in Australia. He has then made serious impression as a stallion, producing 55 stakes winners, among them 12 Group 1 winners. He remains active at The Oaks Stud.
Grand Echezeaux's other stakes-winning son was the Group 3 winner Burgundy (NZ), who was also Group 1 placed. The son of Redoute's Choice stood for seven seasons at Cambridge Stud before is premature death in 2019. He has eight stakes winners to his name including two Group 1 winners.
Grand Echezeaux (NZ) when racing | Image courtesy of Pencarrow Stud
The previous year, the race was won by Episode (Scenic {Ire}), who led all the way for Damien Oliver and trainer David Hall. She would also win the then G1 South Australian Oaks while she proved influential at stud, as the dam of Group 1 winner First Seal (Fastnet Rock) and Group 2 winner Book Of Kells (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).
The 1994 winner Tristalove (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) was one of the best-bred winners of the race, as a half-sister to Group 1 winner Don Eduardo (NZ) and three-quarter sister to Champion Octagonal (NZ), out of a Group 1 winner, Diamond Lover (Sticks And Stones), who was a daughter of the blue hen Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}).
She would leave a suitable legacy in the breeding barn, producing four stakes winners, including the Group 1 winner Viking Ruler, while she is the grandam of another Group 1 winner in De Beers (NZ).
Tristalove (NZ) when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
It was in 1993 that the Australasian Oaks moved to its current time slot on later April/early May. That edition as won by Our Tristalight (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), who would prove a Group 1 producer through Danske (NZ) (Danehill {USA}), while she also produced the dual Listed winner Eagle Rhythm (NZ) (Rhythm {USA}). She is also the great-grandam of G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Midnight Oil (NZ) (Keeper).
The other Group 1 producer to win the Australasian Oaks is 1986 victress Miss Clipper (Alert {Ire}). Her daughter Ruby Clipper (NZ) (Rubiton) was a Group 1 winner in South Africa while she had two Australian-bred grandsons win Group 1 races in that country.
As well as those 14 fillies would go on to produce stakes winners, an additional four would have progeny which were stakes placed.
There are also several Australasian Oaks winners whose daughters ended up producing Group 1 winners, notably Tully Thunder (Thunder Gulch {USA}), victorious 20 years ago and who figures as the grandam of G1 Australian Derby winner Levendi.
Mighty Boss (Not A Single Doubt), the G1 Caulfield Guineas winner, was the grandson of 1998 Australasian Oaks winner La Volta (Laranto), while G1 Spring Champion S. winner Teranaba was out of a daughter of 1988 winner Imposera (NZ) (Imposing).
Stars on the track
Imposera would go on and win a G1 Caulfield Cup later that year and was one of many fillies to have won the race who developed further into elite stayers as an older mare.
1991 winner Mannerism (Amyntor {Fr}) won three further Group 1 races, including a Caulfield Cup and then produced two stakes winners.
As well as those already mentioned above, 2003 winner Sound Action (Vettori {Ire}) would go on and win a G1 Ranvet S., while Zarita (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) (2008) and Delicacy (Al Maher) (2015) would subsequently claim the G1 SA Derby and more recently 2017 winner Egg Tart (Sebring) won the G1 Queensland Oaks.
The pathway for Australasian Oaks winners to win another Group 1 was diminished in 2005 when the South Australian Oaks, a 2500-metre event held two weeks afterwards, was downgraded to a Group 2 race. Now called the SA Fillies Classic, it is run at Group 3 level and hasn't been won by an Australasian Oaks winner since Episode.
