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Royal Descent last Saturday produced a rare display to claim the Group 1 ATC Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The Chris Waller-trained filly backed up in the ATC Australian Oaks (2400m) seven days after comfortably claiming the Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m).
If Gerry Harvey thought that was clinical, the prominent owner was given a treat during the Oaks.
With the Randwick track surface continually downgraded throughout the afternoon, Chris Waller was toying with the idea of scratching the filly from the Group 1 feature which in the end was conducted on a heavy 10.
It turned out the Redoute’s Choice three-year-old relished the conditions on offer as she skipped to a dominant victory.
Under the guidance of Nash Rawiller, Royal Descent settled worse than midfield as NZ Oaks-winner More Than Sacred set the tempo.
As the field fanned wide turning for home Royal Descent cut the corner, going from near last to first in a matter of strides.
Royal Descent decimated her rivals in the straight as she cruised away from them to claim a 10 length win eased down.
Victoria Oaks-winner Dear Demi ran second while Gondokoro chalked up some valuable black type in third.
Her resounding success was the biggest winning margin in a Randwick Group 1 since Might And Power took out the 1998 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) by 10.5 lengths.
Racegoers were witness to a rare effort produced by Royal Descent with the performance rated the equal second highest Australian Oaks victory behind only 1993 winner Mahaya assessed at 123.
Royal Descent was awarded a new peak figure of 119p, 10 pounds superior to her previous best achieved in the Adrian Knox Stakes.
Her maiden Group 1 success sits noticeably above the previous five-year-winning average of the event which was propped up largely thanks to 2010 winner Once Were Wild [119] and Absolutely [117, 2011].
It is hard not to be impressed by what Royal Descent has produced during her seven start maiden preparation which commenced with a 2.5 length maiden success over 1200m at Canterbury last December.
The filly has already amassed a handy black type record with her ATC Australian Oaks success the jewel in the crown also featuring an Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) win and a gallant second in the Keith Nolan Classic (1600m).
Waller did not allude to a particular spring goal following Royal Descent’s last start romp however it is hard to imagine it not involving one of the three majors.
While getting excited about three-year-old fillies form is generally not advisable, three out of the past four Oaks winners have gone onto enjoy Group success as mares.
2012 winner Streama took out the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1600m) during the spring while 2010 Oaks winner Once Were Wild and 2009 winner Daffodil claimed the Chairman’s Quality (2600m) and Windsor Park Plate (1600m) respectively.
Republic Lass was the last Oaks winner (2002) to go on and claim a subsequent Australian Group 1 victory as a mare when she took out the Ranvet Stakes (2000m) the following autumn.
Pinker Pinker and Tuesday Joy each ran third during their respective tilts at Australian Oaks success before claiming career best wins in the 2011 Cox Plate (2040m) and 2008 BMW (2400m) respectively.
