It is only the best horses who don’t show any signs of stress backing up on a short turnaround, and Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) showed there is not much that can faze her with a seamless victory in the $1 million Gr.1 Crown Oaks.
Just five days since she saluted in the Gr.2 Wakeful S. on Victoria Derby Day, the three-year-old filly produced a masterful performance to prevail by 1.25l in Thursday’s staying feature over 2500 metres.
With star jockey Damian Lane aboard for Matt Laurie, Treasurethe Moment switched off with ease and was effortless before the turn for home, before responding to Lane’s urgings with a brilliant turn of foot which saw her notch up her fourth consecutive win. In second was John Sargent-trained Powers Of Opal (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) with Danny O’Brien trained Hurry Curry (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) making up for her fractious behaviour on Saturday with a solid third placing.
Treasurethe Moment now has five victories from seven starts, with over $1 million in career prizemoney.
Treasurethe Moment’s ability to relax under pressure belies her young age, but testament to her strength after surviving the floods at Nagambie’s Yulong Stud two years ago.
Indeed, connections are treasuring every moment of their filly’s winning run after she was part of the crop that had a challenging start in the floods that hit Nagambie in 2022, and the three-year-old seems to as well, given how much she thrives on big races.
“It’s incredible,” Laurie said. “It is 20 years of work really trying to achieve something like this. I’m just so grateful to my team at home and to Team Yulong. They are great for the industry and to have them in my corner with this, a homebred, and to watch her progress to win a Group 1, is incredible.
“I feel very privileged.”
A homebred for Yulong Investments, Treasurethe Moment is the third foal from Draconic Treasure (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}), who was purchased at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for US$320,000 (AU$488,000) by BBA (Ireland) and Yulong.
A winner at 1650 metres in her home country, she is a half-sister to Listed-placed Glowsity (USA) (Bodemeister {USA}) and Hazy Morning (USA) (Curlin {USA}), dam of dual Listed winner Bella Mia (Per) (Yazamaan {GB}). The family features 2003 Gr.1 Melbourne Cup winner Media Puzzle (USA) (Theatrical {USA}). Treasurethe Moment is the last foal from her dam, who passed away in 2022 while in foal to Written Tycoon.
Laurie was confident Treasurethe Moment could back up after her Wakeful S. triumph last Saturday. “I thought her win at Sandown three back was very tough and I didn’t have too many questions about her reaching 2000 metres,” he said.
“She answered that pretty heavily over the weekend, and we were hoping that she would be able to slot in and Damian managed that perfectly. I was starting to get very hot and nervous before the race, but it was a painless watch really. It was almost a replica of the weekend, just an extra 500 metres tacked on at the end.”
Thursday’s win added considerable value to Treasurethe Moment’s breeding future, and it gave Yulong rising young stallion Alabama Express his first Group 1 triumph as a sire.
“She is a beauty. Just kept improving this preparation. Matt said to me before I rode her last start, he thought that she was a really good horse in the making. She has proved them right. She is a bloody ripper,” Lane said.
The jockey completed the same Wakeful/Oaks double on Aristia (Lonhro) in 2018.
“She actually gave me a very similar feel to Aristia on Saturday, but hopefully she can go on with it a little more. She is a beauty and has just kept improving this preparation.”
Alabama Express now has three Stakes winners from his first crop of 110 foals, with Treasurethe Moment lifting his record into the top echelon. He is also sire of Group 2 winning three-year-old filly Alabama Lass, who is favoured to win New Zealand’s Gr.1 1000 Guineas soon.
Alabama Express has begun well with his second crop, already siring two-year-old winner Strideaway in Perth last week.
Written by Renee Geelen & Josh Spasaro for TTRAusNZ
