Faint Perfume proved she was the most exciting staying filly in the country and Valdemoro showed again that she was not too far behind in a thrilling finish to the Group One Vinery Stud Storm Queen Stakes at Rosehill.Faint Perfume came from a long way back in an outstanding performance to run down the Tony Vasil-trained filly in the final few bounds of the 2000m feature.It was the same quinella as the VRC Oaks (2500m) in the spring in Melbourne and sets up another exciting clash in the AJC Austr

Faint Perfume proved she was the most exciting staying filly in the country and Valdemoro showed again that she was not too far behind in a thrilling finish to the Group One Vinery Stud Storm Queen Stakes at Rosehill.

Faint Perfume came from a long way back in an outstanding performance to run down the Tony Vasil-trained filly in the final few bounds of the 2000m feature.

It was the same quinella as the VRC Oaks (2500m) in the spring in Melbourne and sets up another exciting clash in the AJC Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick in two weeks time.

Faint Perfume got there to win by half a neck and they cleared out from the rest with Absolute Faith finishing third, 5-1/4 lengths away.

Winning trainer Bart Cummings maintained Faint Perfume would be kept for the AJC Oaks on April 17 rather than tackle the males in the AJC Australian Derby (2400m) a week earlier.

It was the master trainer's first Group One win at Rosehill since Danendri won the Storm Queen in 1997.

"The mile and a quarter (2000m) suited her and she's pretty special over a mile and a quarter and further," Cummings said.

"I thought it was a great run."

Cummings said he wasn't concerned when the filly spotted the leaders such a big start coming to the home turn, with Faint Perfume still running 11th with 400m to go.

"He (Michael Rodd) rode her well and timed it right," he said.

"He's riding in great form."

While Cummings might not have been worried, Rodd certainly was with Faint Perfume not travelling as well as the in-form jockey is used to seeing.

"She's only a little thing but she's just all heart," Rodd said.

"I was off the bit most of the race.

"When we got to the 600-metre mark I said it's time to move forward and do something because she was a long way off them and she just kept picking up.

"Once she spotted her arch rival (Valdemoro) she remembered the Oaks and thought, 'I've got to get past you'".

Valdemoro had come into the race with two soft wins against lesser company in Victoria and was gallant in defeat, looking the winner when she raced to the front with 200m to run.

"We've run second to the best filly in Australasia, we are second best and there's a big gap to the third best," Vasil said.

"Blake (Shinn) rode her a treat, he had to go when he did. Maybe if he'd counted to five ... but I'm not critical at all."

Vasil wasn't making excuses but said the slow-rated surface was "line-ball" for Valdemoro.

"She's better on top of the ground," he said.

Shinn certainly thought he had the race won on Valdemoro but paid tribute to Faint Perfume.

"She (Valdemoro) worked into the race like the winner and let down really strongly but the winner was too good," he said.

Absolute Faith will also press on to the Oaks.

"She's Group One-placed now which helps her value but the other two were too good," trainer John McArdle said.