Queensland Oaks Falls to Plucky You Whang

You Wahng delivered a gutsy performance to claim Saturday’s Gr1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm, giving her future broodmare value a massive lift in the process. A daughter of dual Cox Plate winner So You Think, the filly had already shown her staying potential with a placing in the ATC Oaks and a solid run in The Roses – enough to give jockey Tommy Berry the confidence to ride her to perfection when it counted most. Trainer Kris Lees was quick to praise Berry’s tactical nous. “Yeah, look, lovely ride from Tommy,” he said. “He was able to get us straight across from the gate and got into a lovely position in running.” That positioning proved crucial when You Wahng was called on to dig deep late. “He had a lot of horse coming to the corner, but I was always just a little guarded for that last furlong when she presented, but she was able to find under pressure.” Lees noted they’d tinkered with her gear since a plain Gosford run. “We applied a tongue tie, and it's really worked out well. She’s reacted well in it.” Berry was equally full of praise for both the filly and his long-time association with Lees. “Great to do it for Kris,” he said. “We always had a great relationship… I remember he said, ‘I want you to ride this filly in the Kembla Grange Classic over a mile, I think she’s got something, I think she’ll be my Oaks filly’.” The jockey explained he was mindful not to make the same mistake as last start. “I learned my lesson. I got there too early on her. I really timed my run today.” He added, “She’s only half a horse wide because she could take them sticky little tight runs… it’s just unbelievable.” Purchased by Lees and international agent Justin Bahen for $150,000 from Riversdale’s Magic Millions draft, You Wahng was reared on behalf of breeder Jeremy Kessell. Her dam, Wahng Wah, was a five-time winner including three metro victories and is now the producer of two stakes winners – You Wahng and the Listed Princess Stakes winner Street Gossip. Wahng Wah is out of a lightly raced Encosta De Lago mare who produced multiple stakes winner Warranty – a three-quarter sister to Niagara and half-sister to Gathering, Florentina and California Turbo. Florentina, in turn, is the dam of US Gr1 star In Italian, a four-time elite-level winner.