‘She’s promising and they’ll know she’s there on Oaks day’
Shinn and O’Brien look ahead to next month’s VRC Oaks with Served Cold after filly lives up to potential in Geelong Classic
Danny O’Brien is looking forward to seeing his filly Served Cold (Shamus Award) line up in the VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) at Flemington next month after she showcased her abundant ability when landing yesterday’s Geelong Classic (Listed, 2200m).
The daughter of Rosemont Stud’s Shamus Award (Snitzel) had shown plenty of Oaks potential in her three starts prior to yesterday’s success, improving upon a debut fourth placing to record a win over 1700 metres at Geelong on September 3.
Following her maiden victory, Served Cold was then sent off as an odds-on favourite for the VRC Oaks Preview (1800m) at Flemington last month, but could only finish fifth after making most of the running, two and a half lengths behind winner Harlow Mist (Contributer).
Despite that defeat, Blake Shinn retained the partnership for yesterday’s race and, after settling in third off a reasonable pace, the pair moved up to take the lead at the 200-metre marker and pulled clear of Waverley (No Nay Never) to score one and a quarter lengths with the same distance further back to Kosgei (The Autumn Sun) in third place.
“Nothing went her way at Flemington. We were disappointed on the day, but the more you analysed it, you could not be too critical,” O’Brien said.
“She had an easy couple of weeks after that. We have been focused on getting her to the Oaks, and we were always going to have one run too few instead of one too many.
“This race worked in perfectly with her programming. She had already been here and won, and it’s a local track for us being out at Barwon Heads.”
A homebred for Balmerino Racing Partnership, which races her in partnership with Brae Sokolski’s Yes Bloodstock and a host of others, including AFL stars Jarryd Roughead, Jack Gunston and Liam Shiels, Served Cold is a sister to the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) heroine El Patroness and will now bid to emulate her sibling in the VRC Oaks on November 9, for which she is now a $6.50 chance.
“She learnt a lot from her last run and got a perfect ride by Blake today,” O’Brien said. “That was just her fourth start, so hopefully, we are off to Flemington.
“She’s a natural staying filly with that big cardio that means she could probably run 2000 metres at her first start. She had no trouble with the 2200 metres; fitness-wise, that is enough for her to go to the Oaks.”
Former Hong Kong-based jockey Blake Shinn echoed the thoughts of O’Brien and was also looking forward to next month’s Oaks.
“She’s a free-rolling filly and the race worked out nicely with a genuine tempo for that distance,” the winning rider told Racing.com. “My filly got into a lovely rhythm and at no stage did I feel as though I was going to lose.
“In the straight she let down well but she’s quite gawky and I had a bit in hand when I got to the line. It’s nice because after last time we were at a bit of a crossroads. We expected her to win that day, she didn’t. But no leader won on that day so we had excuses.
“We came here today and felt all being equal, if she is the filly that we think she is, then she would be able to take care of them and she did, so now she is a real contender for the Oaks.
“I know we have the Wakeful [Stakes] on Saturday week and you usually get some nice fillies in that, but she’s promising and they’ll know she’s there on Oaks day.”
Served Cold (3 f ex Sure You Can by O’Reilly) is out of the talented stakes performing O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) mare Sure You Can, herself a $100,000 purchase for O’Brien at the 2012 NZB Premier Yearling Sale.
Sure You Can is a sister to Tasmanian Derby (Gr 3, 2200m) winner Betwixt, the dam of Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Provocative (Zabeel).
O’Gorman Racing purchased a Puissance De Lune (Shamardal) colt out of Sure You Can for $130,000 from the Widden Stud draft at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Shamus Award, who was handed his 23rd individual stakes winner with Served Cold’s success, is standing for a fee of $60,500 (inc GST).