Winner: Once Were Wild (Johannesburg-Wildesong)
Race: AJC Oaks G1 (2400m)
Sold for: $50,000
Sale: 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Kulani Park (As Agent)
Buyer: Amanda Skiffington
Earnings: $332,150
Owner(s): Strawberry Hill Stud Syndicate (Mgr: J Singleton), M Carnegie & T Kennedy
Trainer: Gai Waterhouse (Randwick)
Bargain filly Once Were Wild sent her value soaring as she thumped a quality field to win the Group One AJC Oaks (2400m) at Randwick this afternoon.
The most progressive filly in Australia, Once Were Wild is in her first racing preparation and in a great display she treated the country’s best fillies with contempt in a wonderful galloping display.
A $50,000 bargain buy from the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Once Were Wild is trained by champion horsewoman Gai Waterhouse.
“I was sitting in the stand and thinking that Nash was going too slow,” Waterhouse said.
“But Duncan Grimley (racing manager for part owner John Singleton) was sitting beside me – chuckle, chuckle, chuckle,” she added.
“I’m delighted,” Waterhouse beamed. “She’s a filly who’s in her first racing prep – so it’s not a bad effort, is it!”
Waterhouse elected to remove blinkers for the exciting prospect following her last start when she led and faded in the main Group One lead up.
“I didn’t think she went hard in the blinkers – because she doesn’t. But over the staying distance I wanted her to get into a rhythm.”
“She’s a pretty good filly.”
“There’s not much to her. She’s got the skinniest legs – but she’s got the heart of a lion.”
“I used to train her mother and when you know the family you can sometimes be forgiving.”
Winning rider Nash Rawiller said the stable had done a remarkable job with the lightly raced filly.
“We knew from day one this filly was going to be an Oaks filly,” Rawiller commented.
“We probably out smarted ourselves last start when we tried to make it a staying test.”
“Today she got into a lovely rhythm and from the 600 we made it a staying test and she felt unbeatable.”
When the line was reached Once Were Wild ($11-$9) held a three and a a half length margin over the favourite and reigning VRC Oaks winner Faint Perfume ($2-$2.30).
Run for Naara ($12-$14-$12) was third, but a further five lengths back in a race where the rivals were no match for the winner.
The second favourite Valdemoro ($3-$3.60) was ridden at the back of the field and made no impression in the straight and wound up in eighth place – 12.4 lengths from the winner.
Once Were Wild, by Hennessy’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Johannesburg, is one of two stakes performers produced by former smart Sydney racemare Wildesong.
A daughter of Unbridled’s Song, Wildesong has also produced the stakes performed Testa Key. In all her four runners are all winners.
Once Were Wild, now the earner of over $332,000 from just eight starts, was purchased as a yearling by leading international bloodstock agent Amanda Skiffington.
