Oaks Trial Day Report
by Lisa Olszak
 
    Lacking the same glamour that made Geelong Cup Day a success, Oaks Day at Geelong still followed up with a better than average program with a combination of good racing and fashions on the field, and there was plenty of action both on and off the track for the fillies.

    The day kick-started with the traditional Oaks Day hurdle race, this year sponsored by Eddy Elias Menswear. The obvious elect was the most recent winner of the Grand National, the Lee Freedman-trained son of Naturalism, Nautilism, despite his huge impost of 72.5kg.

"Nautilism"
 
    But Nautilism struggled in the run to pull up second-last, while Lesvos Ruler ($9.40) broke the track record and landed his connections a decent plunge on his way to a 3/4 length victory over Midnight Smoker and Classic Tudor.
    "Yes, we've won plenty," excited trainer Peter Gelagotis said after the race. "We walked into the track quiet and we're going out loud."
    Gelagotis explained his horse's win was helped by his weight advantage: "Nautilism was carrying 6.5kgs more than Lesvos Ruler and our horse had run some great races without winning in Melbourne during the winter."
    He also praised the ride of winning jockey Nathan Hanley: "Nathan rode him from behind today which suited him much better."
    Lesvos Ruler's time of 3:28.99 for the 3100m bettered that of previous record holder Kilkenny's by a full second, and he is now likely to press on to the Melbourne Cup Day Hurdle. Nautilism will miss the race after the Freedman stable reported their horse pulled up sore in registering his only unplaced run in his short career as a hurdler.

    Race 2, the Target Australia Class 2 Hcp, saw lightly raced Happy Jackpot start a very short priced favourite, but he failed to run a place behind determined winner Thundahar ($6.10), ridden by Scott Seamer. Thundahar fought back strongly after rival West View, ridden by Jade Da Rose, headed him off in the home straight. Kenmont (Vincent Hall) ran 3rd, just ahead of Lauriston Lass (Michael Connick).
    "He's by Thunder Gulch, and they (the breed) just keep fighting on," Seamer told Thundahar's trainer, Graham Woolston.

    By the third race, the Geelong track was upgraded to "good," after beginning the day as "dead." After heavy downpours on Cup Eve, which saw the track deteriorate from "fast" to "heavy," and then upgraded to "slow" on Cup morning, the track was able to prove its excellent drainage facilites and surface were spot on for its biggest occasion of the year.
    Punters' woes continued however, when Tara's Song became the third straight favourite to miss a place in race three. It was the consistant Gateway, a 4yo gelding trained by Geelong Cup winning-trainer David Hall and owned by local owners David and Carol Kirby, who finally broke through for his maiden win, after running third at his last three starts. The narrow win over Gem Trader ($4.20) and Presidential ($13) was full of merit, as the gelding was trapped wide for the latter part of the race.
    Geelong has been a happy hunting ground for the Kirbys in the past, as they have also owned a Geelong Cup placegetter (Fame The Spur), and Geelong Oaks Trial winner (Swell Time Girl).

    Race four was the R & B Holden Maiden Plate over 1200m, and picking a winner had not become any easier. The Guy Walter-trained filly Little Deuce Coupe, down from Sydney after some good runs in town, was expected to break through for her first win, but again the curse of the favourites continued when she missed running a place to finish fourth. The result was a blowout, with two longshots quinellering the race. The winner was the John Hawkes-trained debutant Huey, ridden by Brent White, scoring by a neck from Tony Vasil's Wadi Rum, who was doing his best work late. The well-bred colt Kauri finished thrid.
    Despite Huey's long starting odds, the Hawkes stable representive Roy McComick said he was not surprised by his horse's win after showing promise in a couple of trials, and says he will be improved by the experience.

    It may have lacked a little depth compared to the Victorian Oaks lead-ups being run in Melbourne, but the feature of the day, the $43,000 Listed Geelong Oaks Trial, hosted a keen betting dual which saw the honest filly Karla Keys start favourite from the promising Warm Smytzer. Karla Keys had been runner-up at her past three starts, which included seconds in the Lindsay Park Guineas and Hill Smith Stakes, both run in Adelaide, while Warm Smytzer was coming off a failure at Caulfield following a strong Sandown win.
    Jockey Damien Oliver took Warm Smytzer to the lead soon after the start of the race, and from there on, the pair dominated the race, hanging on to score by 3/4s of a length from Princess Dehere ($9), ridden by Peter Mertens, and Precious Lass ($15), ridden by Vincent Hall.

"Warm Smytzer"
Photo from Geelong Advertiser
 
    The runners-up ran on well, showing they should handle the rise in distance that they'll meet in the Victorian Oaks, but all credit was with Warm Smytzer. The David Hall-trained filly, who capped a memorable Geelong Carnival for her trainer after stablemate Karasi took out the Geelong Cup a day earlier, had only been to the races on three occasions before her Oaks Trial victory. Hall's assistant trainer Mick Moran said the filly would now press on to the Victorian Oaks at Flemington.
    "She is just a bit immature so we are trying to keep her on her feet for the Oaks," Moran said. "Damien made the right decision to take her to the front today because the other day (at Caulfield) she got hammered up along the rails."
    Warm Smytzer, by the noted sire of stayers Zabeel, along with the Oaks Trial runners-up, will meet the likes of Magical Miss, Quays and Gold Lottey when they clash in the Group 1 Victorian Oaks on November 8th.
 
 
                                                       Warm Smyzter (above left) and Precious Lass (right)

    Close finishes continued to be the theme of the day when I'm Honor High ($3.80) beat Prince Ida ($2.60 fav) by a long head in the sixth event of the day, with Cause For Divorce 2 1/4 lengths back in third position. For winning jockey Zac Purton, it couldn't have been a better Victorian debut. The 18yo apprentice from Coff's Harbour is on loan to the Robert Smerdon stable for three months, and I'm Honor High was not only his first Victorian win, but his first Victorian ride. Purton rode the horse well, resorting to hands and heels in the final stages.
 

Zac Purton wins on I'm Honor High
Photo from Geelong Advertiser
 
    Race 7, the Holden Handicap over 1700m, was taken out in impressive style by Geelong-lover Sir Linford ($11). The Jim Houlahan-trained 8yo missed the jump by four lengths but still managed to come from last to score by a short neck from Boy Blue ($4.20) and All The Action ($4.60). The favourite Treasure Bay ($2.25) ran 4th. The win was Sir Linford's second from four tries at the Geelong circuit, and he's also been placed once.

    The Malaysia Airlines Class 1 Hcp rounded off the Geelong Carnival of 2001, and it was the lightly raced 4yo gelding Mr. Casanova ($6.00) who saluted the judge by the biggest margin of the day, two lengths. Trained by Colin Alderson and ridden by Malcolm Pay, he defeated the locally trained Canavan ($6.00), with the favourite Redison ($2.25) running third.
    Alderson holds his horse in high regard, saying after the win, "He might have a bit of class, this bloke. We've had a little problem feet-wise with him and we've had to be a bit patient."
    The patience is paying off, with Mr. Casanova now having won two of his six starts and may be heading for a crack at a race in town, which he would be competitive in providing he finds a dry track, Alderson believes.
 
      Click here for full results on Oaks Trial Day

      Click here to read my Geelong Cup Day Report
 

 
 
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