An Oaks Moment to really Treasure

MELBOURNE -Trainer Matt Laurie admitted to being quite nervous ahead of the Crown Oaks on Nov 7, but in the end it was a “painless watch” as his filly Treasurethe Moment triumphed at Flemington.

Just as she did in the traditional Oaks lead-up in the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2,000m) at Flemington on Nov 2, the Alabama Express three-year-old scored a comprehensive win in the Spring Carnival’s A$1 million (S$871,000) Group 1 filly classic over 2,500m.

Treasurethe Moment provided Laurie with his third Group 1 win, but potentially his most important, as the filly is owned by the fast-growing Yu Long Investments, whose Via Sistina recently scored a thumping win in the Cox Plate.

“It’s incredible,” said Laurie.“It is 20 years of work really trying to achieve something like this. I’m just so grateful to my team at home and to Team Yu Long.

“They are great for the industry and to have them in my corner with this, a home-bred, and to watch her progress to win a Group 1, is incredible.

“I feel very privileged.”

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Sent out the $16 favourite (on Singapore Pools tote) underDamian Lane, Treasurethe Moment raced to a 1¼-length win from Powers Of Opal (James McDonald) with Hurry Curry (Joao Moreira) a further 1½ lengths away in third.

Laurie said it was only after Treasurethe Moment scored in the Wakeful Stakes that he felt he had an Oaks winner on his hands.

He felt the 2,000m of the Wakeful would be no problem, and that extra 500m on Nov 7 would be no concern.

“I thought her win at Sandown three back was very tough. I didn’t have many questions about her reaching 2,000 metres,” said Laurie.

“She answered that pretty heavily over the weekend. We were hoping she would be able to slot in and Damian managed that perfectly.

“I was starting to get very hot and nervous before the race, but it was a painless watch really.

“It was almost a replica of the weekend, just an extra 500 metres tacked on at the end.”

Lane, who completed the same double on Aristia in 2018, described Treasurethe Moment as a “bloody ripper” saying she can go on to better things.

“She actually gave me a very similar feel to Aristia on Saturday, but hopefully she can go on with it a little more,” he said.

“She is a beauty and has just kept improving this preparation.

“Matt said to me, before I rode her last start, that she was a really good horse in the making, and she has proved them right. She is a bloody ripper.” Sky Racing