Egg Tart has continued her stellar recent form by clinching victory in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Doomben on Saturday.
With the meeting having been moved from Eagle Farm and the distance dropped to 2200m from 2400m, Egg Tart settled in the second half of the field before peeling wide on the turn and running on strongly down the outside.
Egg Tart, ridden by Kerrin McEvoy ran out a one-and-a-quarter length winner over Pygmy in second with Oklahoma Girl not far away in third.
The Chris Waller-trained runner who has now won all five outings this campaign and six in a row returned a new career peak Timeform figure of 109p, one pound above her win in the Group 1 Adelaide Oaks (2010m) the start prior.
Egg Tart is the equal lowest rated winner of the race since Quintessential (108) in 2012 with Tinto also running to 109 in 2014 when beating Arabian Gold.
In recent years, Provocative ran to 113p when beating Ambience in 2016 with Winx running to 115p the year prior when the race was also run over 2200m at Doomben
Having now won six of her last eight career runs, Egg Tart’s last four victories have come in four different states (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane) which outlines her durability and certainly shapes up as a real staying prospect in the spring.
Egg Tart’s victory brought up Chris Waller’s second win in the race joining Winx with Kerrin McEvoy also having two wins after riding Purple to victory in 2009.
Of the beaten runners, Pygmy was good in second at big odds, running to a clear new peak Timeform rating of 106? 21 pounds above his win in a Benchmark 70 at Hawkesbury the start prior.
Oklahoma Girl in third also ran to a new peak figure of 106, five pounds above her second in the Magic Millions Roses (2000m) behind Kenedna the start prior who was fourth in the Oaks.
Earlier in the day Single Gaze continued her terrific recent form when taking out the Group 2 P J O’Shea Stakes (Eagle Farm Cup) over 2200m.
Settling behind the leader Preferment, Single Gaze took over proceedings on the turn and was able to hold off her rivals in the straight with Rudy in second and High Church third.
The race was somewhat marred when Cylinder Beach who was looming as a big threat to Single Gaze broke down passing the 250m and was unable to finish the race.
Single Gaze who may well back up in the Brisbane Cup (2200m) on Saturday ran to a Timeform figure of 113, his equal highest also achieved when runner up in the Group Hollindale Stakes (1800m).
Single Gaze is only the third mare to win the race since 1991, joining Quintessential (2013) and Lights Of Heaven (2012) who both ran to 116 and 118 respectively.
With the race not held in 2016 due to reconstruction of the Eagle Farm track, the last winner of the event was Werther in 2015 also at Doomben who returned a Timeform figure of 117 which equates to the same as Single Gaze after the mares allowance.
The Nick Olive-trained runner who was ridden by Kathy O’Hara continues to race consistently well this campaign and will look to join fellow mare Lights Of Heaven who was the last horse to complete the P J O’Shea Stakes-Brisbane Cup double in the same year.
Of the beaten runners, Rudy was good again in second running to 115, the same figure he returned when third in the Group 1 Doomben Cup the start prior.
High Church in third also ran to 115, a new career peak for him, four pounds above his win in the Listed Warrnambool Cup.
Preferment will now be retired following his fourth placing ending a very successful career.
The final group race of the day saw Deploy claim a narrow victory in the Group 2 Moreton Cup (1200m) ahead of Dothraki in second with Prefect Dare third.
In what was a fairly modest field lining up, Deploy ran to a new career peak Timeform figure of 106, one pound above his previous best achieved at Randwick last year.
The Gerald Ryan-trained runner is the lowest rated winner of the race in the last 25 years, running eight pounds below 2016 winner Spill The Beans.
The highest rating out of the race came from Dothraki, who loomed up to win before running a close second and returning a Timeform figure of 118 with the 59kg which measures up well to recent runners of the race.
