Pre-race there were queries around tempo, tactics and whether the 2026 renewal of the Gr.1 Australian Oaks would truly test stamina, but in the end it was the proven stayer who prevailed as Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) powered home to claim the Randwick classic.
Settling well back in the field, some 15 lengths off the leader, Ohope Wins was afforded a patient and confident ride by James McDonald, who resisted any urge to improve early. With the speed on – contrary to many expectations – the race quickly developed into a genuine staying test, bringing the Kiwi filly right into contention.
As the field rounded the bend, runners fanned across the track looking to make their moves, with Profoundly (Farnan) surging to the front at the 250 metres after backing up off her dominant Adrian Knox Stakes victory. For a brief moment it looked as though that formline would again prevail, but Ohope Wins had tracked into the race smoothly behind the pack and was just beginning to lengthen.
Angling into clear running off the back of After Summer (The Autumn Sun), Ohope Wins let down powerfully, her superior stamina coming to the fore over the final furlong. She surged past Profoundly late to score by a long neck, with After Summer fighting on gamely a further half-head away in third in a tightly contested finish.
In a race where the Vinery Stakes form had been questioned due to its sit-and-sprint nature, the step to 2400 metres proved decisive. Ohope Wins, already a Group 1 winner over the trip in the New Zealand Oaks, relished the stronger tempo and was able to demonstrate her staying credentials in full.
Trainer Chris Waller was quick to acknowledge the foundations laid before the filly arrived in his care.
“I can’t take all the credit, obviously I’ve been trusted by Yulong. Lance O’Sullivan did a great job with her prior to coming to me plus they gave me a hand with her as well,” Waller said.
“Maybe we got it a little bit simple first-up (in the Vinery), I think she just needed the run. Speaking with Lance O’Sullivan, the confidence he had in her, he said she’s one of the best horses that he’s ever had to deal with so it’s a pretty big comment.”
James McDonald’s ride proved pivotal, with the jockey adapting to the race shape as it unfolded.
“They ran it really quickly so it suited her down to the ground. Obviously on paper it didn’t look that way, but I always had a plan to ride her quiet,” McDonald said.
“It didn’t go well last start, it was a slowly run race. She’s gritty, she’s a very gritty filly. It was going to be the toughest stayer and that’s exactly what she was.”
The victory continued a strong season for the filly, taking her record to four wins from eight starts and adding a second Group 1 to her resume.
Written for TTRAusNZ
