Eleonora
Trish Dunell
Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman have another live classic hope across the Tasman after Eleonora made a winning debut on the synthetic track at Geelong on Friday.
The highly-regarded Makfi filly, who was sent out a commanding favourite at $1.45, crushed her maiden rivals over 1300 metres in the hands of Damien Oliver. After taking a while to warm up in the straight, Eleonora rushed home to overhaul the two leaders to win comfortably by 1-1/4 lengths.
"Mid-race I was bolting, but the two leaders kicked and put four lengths on her at the top of the straight and I was a bit anxious there, to see if she was going to finish it off," jockey Damien Oliver told Racing.com."But she claimed them well inside the furlong and she finished off really well."
"For her to come out and win today is a good sign," he said.
Raced by Dame Lowell Goddard and Lib Petagna, the grand-daughter of the former champion Australasian stayer Ethereal has now been installed the third favourite for the $A1 million Gr.1 VRC Oaks at Flemington on November 3.
Eleonora placed in all four of her New Zealand outings, including a runner-up finish in last season's Listed Champagne Stakes at Ellerslie.
Friday's race was Eleonora's fifth start and second this campaign. She had been placed in all four of her runs in New Zealand including the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie in April. She was a $60,000 purchase at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series by Bruce Perry Bloodstock from the draft of Pencarrow Stud.
The highly-regarded Makfi filly, who was sent out a commanding favourite at $1.45, crushed her maiden rivals over 1300 metres in the hands of Damien Oliver. After taking a while to warm up in the straight, Eleonora rushed home to overhaul the two leaders to win comfortably by 1-1/4 lengths.
"Mid-race I was bolting, but the two leaders kicked and put four lengths on her at the top of the straight and I was a bit anxious there, to see if she was going to finish it off," jockey Damien Oliver told Racing.com."But she claimed them well inside the furlong and she finished off really well."
"For her to come out and win today is a good sign," he said.
Raced by Dame Lowell Goddard and Lib Petagna, the grand-daughter of the former champion Australasian stayer Ethereal has now been installed the third favourite for the $A1 million Gr.1 VRC Oaks at Flemington on November 3.
Eleonora placed in all four of her New Zealand outings, including a runner-up finish in last season's Listed Champagne Stakes at Ellerslie.
Friday's race was Eleonora's fifth start and second this campaign. She had been placed in all four of her runs in New Zealand including the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie in April. She was a $60,000 purchase at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series by Bruce Perry Bloodstock from the draft of Pencarrow Stud.