SOUTH Australian fillies Sentimental Flame and Diamond’s Choice will be on trial for a Victoria Oaks start in Saturday’s Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
The pair finished in the placings in the Listed Hill Smith Stakes in Adelaide last time out behind Air Assault, his effort when placed in last week’s Vase, giving their respective trainers the confidence to dive in the deep end on Derby Day.
John Allen will partner the Travis Doudle-trained Sentimental Flame while Harry Coffey has been booked to ride the Chris Bieg-trained Diamonds Choice who has drawn perfectly in barrier four.
Diamonds Choice was ridden on speed when she was beaten by Sentimental Flame at their previous clash before she thrived on being ridden off the speed working home well to run second in the Hill Smith.
“We didn’t think we’d get this far with her this time in,’’ Bieg said.
“I thought if we’d be heading towards an Oaks, it would have been one a bit easier in either Tasmanian or Adelaide next year.
“I was really happy with her last start. She was making a little bit of ground on Air Assault and we seen him come out and run well at the Valley, so we’ve got a little bit of confidence going over that she’ll run a good race, whether or not she’s up to the favoured runners remains to be seen
“She’s bred to do anything really being by So You Think from Fullazz and a full-sister to D’Argento (who won the Rosehill Guineas, placed behind Winx and Hartnell and tackled a Cox Plate),’’ he said.
Bieg said he wouldn’t hesitate backing up in Thursday’s Oaks if she runs well knowing the best was in front of her.
“If she runs in the top five or six and pulls up well, why not have a crack?,’’ Bieg said.
“2500m is going to bring a few more unstuck, we could be one of those, but at this stage she’s given us no reason why she won’t get the trip.
“If she can run a place in a race like this it certainly adds some value being so well bred,’’ he said.
Locally Bieg said he was hoping Dubenenko could turn around her latest effort when beaten behind Anotherhouse at Morphettville.
“She looked a bit flat to me and I wasn’t sure what to make of it,’’ Bieg said.
“The only excuse we had was the saddle did slip a long way forward. We’ve got an adjustment with that on Saturday.
“We worked her with Aitch Two Oh on Tuesday with the winkers on and she was very very good,’’ he said.
Linda Meech will partner the Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained Aitch Two Oh who returns to the scene of her biggest win at Flemington where she won last year’s Group 2 Red Roses with James McDonald in the saddle.
