Yulong's Acquisition Chases First Australian Win

Recently purchased from her New Zealand connections, Gr1 New Zealand Oaks-winning filly Pulchritudinous (Wrote-Showus, by Pentire) will make her first Australian start on Saturday when she lines up for new owners Yulong in the Gr1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville. Trainers G Waterhouse & A Bott sent her to the trials recently where she finished a solid third over 1200m, and on Saturday with Tim Clark in the saddle, the pair have drawn nicely in barrier seven. If she can cope with the drop back in trip from the 2400m to the 2000m, then the filly looks a leading contender, as do fellow New Zealand-bred fillies Positivity (Almanzor-Pussy O'Reilly, by O'Reilly) and Qali Al Farrasha (Almanzor-Nucleonic, by Burgundy) who finished second and third behind her in the NZ Oaks. Of the local contingent, the Patrick Payne-trained Wings Of Song (Mendelssohn-Tortoni, by Strategic) comes into the race in outstanding form, winning her past six starts including three Listed races, as well as the Gr3 Auraria Stakes last start over 1800m. Already a winner over 2100m in the Listed Tasmanian Oaks, the filly has proven her ability over a trip, and being from the family of Champion Stayer Tie The Knot (Nassipour), she will surely look the winner at some stage in the home straight. Beaten into fourth place in the Gr1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) should be good enough to see the P & P Snowden trained Queen Of Dragons (Pierro-Entrancing, by Exceed And Excel) capable of making a case for herself here especially with those ahead of her in the Vinery going on to place in the Gr1 Australian Oaks (2400m) next start.

Pulchritudinous wins the New Zealand Oaks (pic: Race Images Peter Rubery)