De Armas won the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes on Derby Day, and Chris Waller's planned Oaks runners finished well back. Here's what it means for Thursday's Oaks.
Chris Waller went into Derby Day with a clear plan for Thursday's VRC Oaks (2500m). By the end of the Wakeful Stakes, that plan was up in the air.
De Armas wins the Wakeful
De Armas, ridden by Blake Shinn, won the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday by a length and a quarter. She started an equal favourite at $3.60.
- 1st: De Armas (Chris Waller / Blake Shinn), $3.60 equal favourite
- 2nd: Girl With A Pearl, $61
- 3rd: Icelady, $3.60 equal favourite, a length and a half further back
Shinn said the filly was unbalanced around the home turn and he had to work to get her on the correct leg, but once balanced she ran the 2000m out well. Waller was in Sydney, and stable representative Darren Beadman said she is improving but her race-day manners still need work. She had also had a messy run at Caulfield before this.
Waller's Oaks fillies struggle
Before the race, Waller had pointed to Tharwa and Your Colour as his likely Oaks runners. Both were well beaten, with Tharwa ninth and Your Colour eleventh. De Armas is entered for the Oaks, and the stable will see how she pulls up before deciding.
Waller had his first Oaks runner only last year, when The Pearls ran second, so he is still chasing his first win in the race.
The punting angle
The Wakeful is the traditional Oaks lead-up, and it is run over 2000m, 500m short of the Oaks trip. De Armas was strong at the finish, which is a good sign, but her steering issues around the turn are worth noting at a track where you need to be balanced coming into the long straight. Wait for confirmation that she runs, then compare her with the fillies coming through other lead-ups. Girl With A Pearl's run at long odds also deserves a second look if she backs up.