Mornington horseman Jason Warren is working his magic this Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival trying to get his progressive filly Zasorceress into the Queensland Oaks 2016 field on June 4 at Eagle Farm Racecourse.
2016 Queensland Oaks favourite Imposing Lass. Photo: Steve Hart.
The three-year-old daughter of Zabeel is one of a bumper 110 official nominees for this year’s $500,000 Group 1 Treasury Casino & Hotel Queensland Oaks (2400m).
But with only $27,410 in prize money to her name to date and still a maiden after seven career runs, Zasorceress is in danger of missing out of an Oaks run.
Two back she ran a brave third to Diamond Made in the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) at Randwick as a $21 roughie.
Things when amiss however in the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) back at the track on April 16 when she could only manage to finish 11 lengths away seventh behind He’s Our Rokkii.
Warren, who has had just the one previous Queensland Oaks runner without success, is now in a race against time to get his filly’s ratings up so she’s in the mix for next month’s classic.
The traditional Oaks lead-up runs at Doomben Racecourse this Saturday with the top fancies for the Group 1 facing off in the $175,000 Group 2 The Roses (2000m).
Pre-field Queensland Oaks odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have Bjorn Baker’s Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) winner Imposing Lass ($6) as the early favourite and she is also set to jump top fancy in The Roses.
Zasorceress can be found further down the futures Queensland Oaks betting markets at $26 and is only the third emergency for The Roses on Doomben Cup Day.
Unlikely to get a run in The Roses, a race that has provided four of the past five Queensland Oaks winners, Warren will take his hopeful to the Gold Coast on Saturday instead.
She is accepted to run in the $14,000 Food Traders Australia Maiden Plate (1800m) from barrier one with Daniel Griffin booked for the ride on the filly also balloted out of the ATC Oaks in April.
“She was on the cusp of getting a run in the ATC Oaks. We obviously need to get a win under our belt, so we’ll go to the maiden at the Gold Coast,” Warren told Racing Victoria.
“Hopefully we can get her into the Oaks field if she can win there.”
Warren still has The Roses representation at Doomben on the weekend with Backstreet Lover jumping from gate three with Paul Hammersley in the saddle.
The Street Cry filly has won two of her five runs so far and comes off a fourth to Lyricist over the Sunshine Coast mile on May 11.
He is confident she will only improve the further she goes and was happy to excuse her Caulfield run from April 23 when eighth to subsequent Group 1 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) winner Abbey Marie.
“We’re chasing our tail a little bit with her,” Warren said of Backstreet Lover, a $34 Queensland Oaks hope in the current markets.
“She injured her knee when she ran first-up at Caulfield.
“I thought her last run [at the Sunshine Coast] was satisfactory. It was a catch-up run.”
To back Warren’s Queensland Oaks-bound fillies this weekend at the right price and to access the best all-in markets for Winter Carnival Group 1s head to Ladbrokes.com.au now!
