Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
In 2024, 14 3-year-old fillies will compete for G1 Victoria Oaks glory on Thursday, with both Treasurethe Moment and Too Darn Discreet (Too Darn Hot {GB}) coming into the race having won their last three in succession. With this race having an extraordinary record with almost all the winners going on to produce stakes class foals, there is a lot riding on the result.
Treasurethe Moment looks the part
Trainer Matt Laurie told The Thoroughbred Report on Wednesday that Treasurethe Moment looks the part of an Oaks filly. “She’s more in the mould of a staying filly, tall and leggy and a little bit on the narrower side. Certainly if you knew nothing about her pedigree, you’d look at her and suggest that she’ll be in her element over 2000 metres, hopefully plus. We’ll know that come tomorrow,” said Laurie.
“She’s pulled up really well (after winning the G2 Wakeful S. on Saturday). I’m very happy with her. She’s eating well and is nice and sound. She’s in as good a position as any of the others (to get the trip) and I can’t see why not.”
“She’s (Treasurethe Moment) pulled up really well (after winning the G2 Wakeful S. on Saturday). She’s in as good a position as any of the others (to get the trip) and I can’t see why not.” - Matt Laurie
Placed on debut as a June 2-year-old, Treasurethe Moment won first up at three at Geelong, before placing at Caulfield. She then won twice at Caulfield over 1400 metres and 1600 metres, before Saturday’s G2 Wakeful S. win. Pedigree enthusiasts do have to go back three or four generations to find any stamina, although many will note that Treasurethe Moment’s damsire Street Cry (Ire) is incredibly versatile.
By Alabama Express, a sprinting son of Redoute’s Choice who sired two winners of this race with Samantha Miss and Miss Finland which suggests some versatility in the breed.
Treasurethe Moment | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Treasurethe Moment is out of Draconian Treasure (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}) who was a winner over 1700 metres in America. Her second dam, Hazy Glow (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) won as a 2-year-old, and it’s not until the third dam that any stamina sires come into play with third dam Genuine Charm (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}) being by a famed staying sire. Genuine Charm only placed as a racemare, and produced G1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship winner Rich Tapestry (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). However, she is a half-sister to G1 Melbourne Cup winner Media Puzzle (USA) (Theatrical {USA}).
The last 10 winners – where are they now?
Most of the last 10 winners of the G1 Victoria Oaks don’t have progeny of racing age, although Jameka’s son Federer (Dundeel {NZ}) looks exciting having won two of his three starts this season.
| 2023 | Zardozi (Kingman {GB}) | Last start 4th G1 Melbourne Cup | N/A |
| 2022 | She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice) | Sold to Coolmore $3.4million in 2024. Exported to USA May 14, 2024 | N/A |
| 2021 | Willowy (Kermadec {NZ}) | Covered in Europe by Kingman (GB) in 2023 | 2024 f by Kingman |
| 2020 | Personal (Fastnet Rock) | Coolmore Aus | 2023 f by So You Think (NZ) |
| 2024 f by I Am Invincible | |||
| 2019 | Miami Bound (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) | Exported to Japan, Dec 2021 | 2023 f (Jpn) by Satono Diamond (Jpn) |
| 2024 f (Jpn) by Maurice (Jpn) | |||
| 2018 | Aristia (Lonhro) | NSW | 2022 c by Zoustar (sold for $750,000 by Vinery to Equine Investments/Bevan Smith Bldsk) |
| 2023 f by Maurice (Jpn) | |||
| 2024 missed | |||
| 2017 | Pinot (Pierro) | Exported to Japan, Dec 2020 | Two foals, two winners in Australia |
| 2023 c (Jpn) by Kitasan Black (Jpn) | |||
| 2024 f (Jpn) by Kizuna (Jpn) | |||
| 2016 | Lasqueti Spirit (Beneteau) | NSW | First two foals are winners. |
| 2022 c by Pierro (Sold by Fairview Park Stud to Waterhouse/Bott and Byron Rogers for $300,000) | |||
| 2024 due to Anamoe | |||
| 2015 | Jameka (Myboycharlie) | Vic | First two foals are city winners including Federer (Dundeel {NZ}). Third foal is unraced 3-year-old Miss Alexis (Dundeel) |
| 2022 Adira River (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) | |||
| 2023 slipped, 2024 stillborn | |||
| 2014 | Set Square (Reset) | Exported to Japan Feb 2017 | Dam of two winners in Japan. |
| 2022 Wornitz (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). Unraced. | |||
| 2023 f (Jpn), by Kizuna (Jpn) | |||
| 2024 f (Jpn) by Salios (Jpn) |
The proven broodmares and their fabulous record
Looking at the rest of the G1 Victoria Oaks winners this century, ie from 2000 to 2013, these 14 mares have an incredible record with all bar three of them producing stakes class progeny.
They are led by Arapaho Miss (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) whose daughter Miami Bound also won the G1 Victoria Oaks, while Arapaho Miss also produced Listed winner De Little Engine (Encosta De Lago). Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice) produced five stakes horses led by G1 MRC Thousand Guineas winner Stay With Me (Street Cry {Ire}) who in turn has produced Listed winner Waltz On By (I Am Invincible) and this season’s Group 2-placed winning 3-year-old colt Duvana (Dundeel {NZ}).
Faint Perfume (Shamardal {USA}) has produced Group 2 winner Good Idea (So You Think {NZ}) and Group 3 winner Chains Of Honour (Redoute’s Choice). Dear Demi (Dehere {USA}) produced Group 2 winner Mokulua (Redoute’s Choice), while Bulla Borghese (Belong To Me {USA}) produced Group 2 winner Bound For Earth (Northern Meteor) and Samantha Miss (Redoute’s Choice) has produced Group 2 winner Miss Fabulass (Frankel {GB}).
Gallery: Some of the high-class G1 VRC Oaks winners who have gone on to produce stakes-winning progeny
Those that have produced Group 3 winners are the wonderful Mosheen (Fastnet Rock) who is at stud in Japan where she’s produced Group 3 winner Primo Scene (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and current Listed winning 3-year-old Danon Ayers Rock (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}).
Hollow Bullet (Tayasu Tsuyoshi {Jpn}) produced Group 3 winner Reloaded (Snitzel). Trainer John McArdle told racenet.com.au on Wednesday, "I had my first runner in December 2003 and won the Oaks in 2004. It was probably lucky for both me and ‘Tags' (jockey David Taggart) that she was a Group-winning sprinter because she just outsprinted them, but she won well. She was a very good horse. She ran second to Alinghi in the Thousand Guineas and she won the Thousand Guineas Prelude so her and Alinghi won all the 3-year-old fillies' races that spring."
Special Harmony (Spinning World {USA})’s first foal was Listed winner Little Surfer Girl (Encosta De Lago) who in turn has produced multiple Group 1 winner Fangirl (Sebring) who ran third to Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) in the G1 Winx S. earlier this spring, before winning the $1million 7+ Sport S. and was sixth in the G1 King Charles III S. last start.
Serenade Rose (Stravinsky {USA}) is the unluckiest at stud of all the G1 Victoria Oaks winners since 2000, as she died after producing three foals. The three foals were winning mare Outdoor (Redoute’s Choice), dam of Group 1 winner Trekking (Street Cry {Ire}) and Listed winner Winnie Star (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), and the two stakes placed winners Minnesinger (Lonhro) and Entertains (Street Cry {Ire}) who produced Group 3 winner Egot (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) at stud.
Gallery: Some of the high-class G1 VRC Oaks winners who have gone on to produce stakes-winning progeny
2001 winner Magical Miss (Danehill {USA}) produced five winners, two of whom were stakes placed, leaving only Kiramosa (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}), Brazilian Pulse (NZ) (Captain Rio {GB}) and Lovelorn (Grand Lodge {USA}) as winner producers who are yet to leave a stakes class horse. Kiramosa has left four winners from as many to race in Japan and has a Contrail (Jpn) yearling colt, while Brazilian Pulse has produced five winners. She’s been a little unlucky the last few years, not having a foal in 2021, 2022, and 2023, but has recently foaled a colt by Hitotsu.
This year’s field
Treasurethe Moment and Too Darn Discreet have both won their last three in succession coming into the G1 Victoria Oaks, while the only other last start winner is the Matthew Smith-trained Placid Pearl (D’Argento).
“(Too Darn Discreet) is all good. Everything’s gone to plan. We won’t know if she’ll get the trip until tomorrow,” said Dan O’Sullivan, trainer of Too Darn Discreet. “She’s a good sort, well-bred. Not too big and not too small.”
Too Darn Discreet | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
She won the G3 Ethereal S. over 2000 metres last start and the G2 Edward Manifold S. prior to that. TTR interviewed her breeder after the Edward Manifold win.
Will Freedman is hoping to go one better than in the past when he lines up Pleasure Artist (Trapeze Artist), trained in conjunction with father Richard, on Thursday.
“It would be nice to come back and get the chocolates. It's a hard race to win but we're confident we can't have Pleasure Artist any better than she is. It was the same with Pavitra. If they thrive in Melbourne and they look well and they're reacting to the training well, then they'll do the rest,” Freedman told racing.com.
Pleasure Artist | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Pavitra (American Pharoah {USA}) ran second in the 2022 Oaks to She’s Extreme, and Pavitra came into the race off a second in the G2 Wakeful S. Pleasure Artist has had only four starts, winning at her second, then running second in the Listed Ducify S. with a last start fifth in the G1 Spring Champion S.
“She's not an overly big filly, but she's got a big action and a big heart. She's progressed nicely and I think the Spring Champion is good form.”
“She's (Pleasure Artist) not an overly big filly, but she's got a big action and a big heart. She's progressed nicely and I think the Spring Champion is good form.” - Will Freedman
Phillip Stokes has set Femminile (Dundeel {NZ}) for this race and she comes off a third last start in the G3 Ethereal S. "We've set her for that race," Stokes told racenet.com.au on Wednesday. "I haven't won a VRC Oaks, I've won a few of them in Adelaide and got a good handle on it. She's got a sticky barrier but all things being equal I reckon she's going to be right in it."
Meanwhile trainer Danny O'Brien isn't bothered that his filly Hurry Curry (NZ) (Ocean Park) was scratched from the G2 Wakeful S. after rearing in the barriers and breaking jockey Jamie Kah's nose. “Six of one, half dozen the other whether we ran in the Wakeful or (went) straight into the Oaks," O'Brien told racing.com.
“When you've got a Group 2 here you generally want two goes at it (black type)… it won't disadvantage her in any way, (missing the run). She'll get back on a dry track… she'll go in there in good order. I think she's a live hope.”
