Newcastle trainer Kris Lees and Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman landed their first Melbourne Group One wins when star filly Samantha Miss ran away with the VRC Oaks at Flemington.The beautifully-bred daughter of Redoute's Choice out of the unraced Zabeel mare Milliyet cost $1.5 million as a yearling at the 2007 Australian Easter Yearling Sale and has well and truly lived up to her pedigree and price tag.Raced by retired Sydney businessman Ron Croghan, Samantha Miss has already won three Group One race

Newcastle trainer Kris Lees and Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman landed their first Melbourne Group One wins when star filly Samantha Miss ran away with the VRC Oaks at Flemington.

The beautifully-bred daughter of Redoute's Choice out of the unraced Zabeel mare Milliyet cost $1.5 million as a yearling at the 2007 Australian Easter Yearling Sale and has well and truly lived up to her pedigree and price tag.

Raced by retired Sydney businessman Ron Croghan, Samantha Miss has already won three Group One races and finished third to Maldivian in the Cox Plate at her previous start.

Sent out $1.85 favourite, Samantha Miss travelled well one off the fence with cover in sixth spot and was three wide around the turn when Bowman made his move.

She was far too classy, scoring by 3-1/2 lengths from Miss Scarlatti ($14) with Allez Wonder ($15) 1-1/4 lengths away third just in front of her stablemate Think Money ($20).

Rival trainer Bart Cummings, who has won the race a record eight times and had Allez Wonder and Think Money in the Oaks, is a big fan of Samantha Miss.

"It was a muddling pace and horses near the front had an advantage, but our two went well against a filly who is probably the best of the last decade or two," the legendary trainer said.

Lees said he was very confident going into the

race.

"She's a super filly and she's pretty dominant against her own age and sex," he said.

"She's had a great spring, she was brave in her

one defeat and I'm very proud of her."

Samantha Miss beat Golden Slipper winner Sebring in the Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick last autumn at her fifth start and was spelled.

She came back this spring and made a clean sweep of the Princess Series culminating in her win in the Group One Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick before coming to Melbourne for the Cox Plate and the Oaks.

"It's great for Ronnie (Croghan). He's tipped a lot of money in and he's got a super filly and good times ahead with her," he said.

"We always thought she was an Oaks filly. What she did as a two-year-old surprised us. She's got that brilliance and now she's shown she can stay.

"She'll go for a spell now and come back for the AJC Oaks - we want to keep her against the fillies for as long as possible - and the Cox Plate next spring."

Lees said he told Bowman to keep Samantha Miss, who jumped from barrier three, out of trouble and not have her in behind tired horses.

"She's a bonny filly, it's a privilege to ride her. Kris has done a wonderful job with her," Bowman said.

"I got her out early knowing she was the horse to beat and she just travelled up, she got there too soon but she's a super filly and I'm lucky to ride her.

"She does like to travel, she travelled a bit strong when they steadied up near the 1400 metres but I had her smothered away and she did the job for me."

The Lee Freedman-trained Miss Scarlatti did a good job to run second.

"She drew the outside, we were going to have to do something extraordinary to beat Samantha Miss," he said.

Danny Nikolic said Wakeful Stakes winner Rocha, who ran fifth after drawing wide, tended to want to race on one rein and got tired over the last 100m.