Newcastle premier trainer Kris Lees trained his 18th Group 1 winner when his tough 3-year-old fill You Wahng withstood the strong finish of the James Cummings trained Pimito to win the 2200 metre Group 1 Queensland t Oaks at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The $21 chance You Wahng was given a gun ride by Tommy Berry who carried the filly over the line to win by a nose in a titanic battle tot eh line. It was Lees third win in the Queensland Oaks after Amokura(2023) and Vitesse Dane (2005) were successful in the $700,000 fillies Classic.
You Wahng was purchased for $150,000 by Lees and Baker Bloodstock at the 2023 Magic Millions Yearlings Sale and from nine starts she has three wins and three placings and $596,900 in prizemoney. The filly will now head to the paddock for a well-earned spell. It was a huge day for the Lees stable with a stable favourite Loch Eagle taking his racetrack prize money to just under $2 Million by winning at Randwick while the ultra-consistent Brudenell was beaten a head in the Listed Bob Charley AO, the feature Randwick event.
Meanwhile it was The Mark Hughes Foundation Race Day at Newcastle Racecourse where Lees had one winner the imported Brave Call and he saluted in a blanket finish in the final event, the 1600 metre Branch Management Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap. The Irish import was backed into $1.80 after an eye catching second placing in the 4-year-olds Australian debut at last month’s Scone Cup Carnival.
Keagan Latham rode the gelding, and he allowed Brave Call to race at the tail of the small field until the early straight where he steered him to the outside and reved him up.
In the closest finish of the day Newcastle trainers filled the placings with Brave Call defeating the unlucky Jay Hopkins trained Sonofdec by a nose with David Adkins Scholl Deep a nose away third.
Latham was the most successful jockey on the day with a treble. He was aboard John Sergeants 2-year-old Flying Orchid which bolted in by 3.5 lengths on debut in the 1200 metre Impact Building Midway 2-year-old Maiden Handicap. Flying Orchid won a recent Randwick trial and was backed from $3.20 into $2.45. Champion trainer Ciaron Maher and Latham combined with the Kiwi bred Magic Shadow a 3.29 length winner of the 1250 metre Bella Group Services Class 1 Handicap. He winner made a long searching run from the top of the straight to record his second win in seventeen starts.
Popular Port Macquarie trainer John Sprague and the family had a quick return on their decision to purchase First Landing, winner of the opening event, the 900 metre Junction Hotel Super Maiden Plate. The 4-year-old was unplaced in five starts for the Hawkes training partnership and Sprague purchased the horse recently. Aaron Bullock rode the $8 chance which was strong late in an impressive win.
Muswellbrook trained My Mate Kate with Andrew Gibbons in the saddle won her first start in nine starts when an easy winner of the 1400 metre Ausure Insurance Benchmark 64 Handicap. Owned and trained by Ben Lees the mare has won four of twenty-three with four placings.
Nathan Doyle had three placings from four starters at Newcastle however he trained the first two winners at Randwick. Hidden Motive and Hellfire Express.