|
ONE winter carnival door closed and another opened
in the space of 48 hours for the powerful Bruce McLachlan
stable at the weekend.
Stradbroke hope, Picaday, suffered an injury, which
forced his scratching on the eve of the Doomben 10,000
and immediate despatch to the spelling paddock.
But out of left-field came a stable carnival replacement
when underrated filly, Natural Woman, won the Doomben
Roses and emerged as a Queensland Oaks prospect.
“Picaday jarred a joint when he was placed
in the John Power. It required four or five days
off and with only three weeks to the Stradbroke it
was asking a bit much,” McLachlan said.
“We decided rather than race the clock to
send him to the spelling paddock and bring him back
for the spring when the Gadsden looks an ideal goal.
I won that race with Planet Ruler.”
McLachlan, champion trainer and astute judge, was
the least surprised when Natural Woman replicated
her recent winning provincial form to provide an
upset in the Riverview Hotel Group 3 Doomben Roses
on Saturday.
He had hailed Natural Woman an Oaks prospect after
her win at the Sunshine Coast a week earlier and
last Friday told connections she could score an upset
in the Roses.
Ridden by Greg Childs, who later took out the Doomben
10,000 on Super Elegant, Natural Woman raced away
to win by more than three lengths from the Sydney
fillies, Charmview and Imana.
“I honestly thought she could win,” McLachlan
said. “She carried the same weight (57kg) as
a lot of Open company performers when she won at
Caloundra.
“I told the owners and even the jockey that
I thought she would win but they thought I was mad.
She has just progressed in leaps and bounds. I knew
she was ready to take things to the next level.
“I think she’ll get the distance of
the Oaks. Her sire is Generous who stayed all day
and was one of the best stayers around, so I don’t
see any problem.”
Childs, who will retain the Oaks ride, was most
impressed by the filly. “I managed to get clear
about the 600m mark and really was just waiting to
let her go. And boy did she ping in the straight,” he
said.
McLachlan, who paid $65,000 for Natural Woman as
a yearling at the Karaka Sales in New Zealand, is
looking to score an overdue win in the $325,000 G1
Oaks at Eagle Farm on June 5 after finishing runner-up
in the classic with Royal Chirac and Iroquois Miss.
Trainer Tony Wildman will press on to the Oaks with
Charmview but may adopt a change of tactics. “It
was a great run but the winner was too good,” he
said. “She’s only got one sharp sprint
and I don’t think she’ll get that far
back next time.”
QUEENSLAND Racing carnival news: John Lingard – May
24.
|
NATURAL
Woman (Greg Childs) bolts in with the
Doomben
Roses on Saturday.
(Noel Pascoe photo) |
|
