Panova will carry favouritism and the weight of expectation when she lines up in the G1 Queensland Oaks, with Chris Waller again holding a powerful hand in one of Australia’s most important staying races for three-year-old fillies.
The $700,000 feature over 2200 metres has drawn a deep field, but Panova clearly stands out on profile. The daughter of Trapeze Artist comes into the race as the highest-rated runner in the field and already a Group 1 winner this preparation, having produced a strong staying performance to land the Australasian Oaks over 2000 metres at Morphettville.
That victory confirmed what Waller had long believed: once Panova was fully fit and able to build through her preparation, she had the class and engine to measure up at the elite level. After earlier autumn runs in Sydney where she was building rather than peaking, Panova showed her true quality in Adelaide, settling back before sustaining a long, sweeping run to defeat Mating Call, with Paltrow Miss behind her in third.
Now she gets her chance to add another Group 1 Oaks to her record.
Panova has drawn ideally in barrier six for Ben Melham and that looks a major advantage in a race where several key rivals have drawn awkwardly. Single Red has come up with barrier 21, Fireball Miss with barrier 18, Paltrow Miss with barrier 22, Grand Omaha with barrier 17 and Waller’s own Chispa with barrier 20. In a full Oaks field, that could prove decisive, particularly over 2200 metres where early positioning and rhythm can shape the entire race.
Waller’s hand is not limited to the favourite. He also saddles Soverato and Chispa, giving the champion trainer three genuine chances in the race. Soverato has already been tested in top staying company, finishing fifth in the G1 ATC Oaks over 2400 metres before running sixth in The Roses. Her best form suggests she has the stamina to be competitive if the race is run strongly.
Chispa is the progressive stablemate. The Savabeel filly has come through the grades quickly and announced herself as a serious Oaks player when second in The Roses at Doomben behind Fireball Miss. She has only had six starts, but her rise from benchmark company into Group 2 level has been sharp, and she gives Waller another filly with upside. The concern is the draw, with barrier 20 leaving Jamie Melham with work to do early.
The Roses form is a key reference point. Fireball Miss won that race impressively over 2000 metres, beating Chispa and Grand Omaha, with Single Red fourth and Soverato sixth. That result gives Ciaron Maher’s Fireball Miss strong claims again, particularly as she appears to be improving with racing. Grand Omaha also brings consistency and Mark Zahra takes the ride, while Single Red has the New Zealand Oaks form and the right staying foundation, even if her wide draw makes the task harder.
But the centre of the race remains Panova.
She has already proven herself at Group 1 level, she maps better than most of her main dangers, and she brings the strongest overall profile into the race. She also gives Waller the chance to continue a special association with the Queensland Oaks, a race that has already played an important role in his career.
In 2015, Waller won the Queensland Oaks with Winx. At the time, it was a brilliant Group 1 win from a talented filly still putting the pieces together. What followed turned that victory into racing history. Winx went on to become one of Australia’s greatest ever racehorses, building a record that made her a racing immortal and a mare whose name now sits among the legends of the turf.
No filly should be burdened with comparisons to Winx, but the Queensland Oaks has always had the ability to reveal more than just a winner. It can announce a filly with staying quality, toughness and the class to build into something greater.
Panova has already taken one major step this campaign. On Saturday, she gets the opportunity to take another.
By Scott Bailey – iRACE
