2015 Australasian Oaks Results: Delicacy Far Too Good

Talented Western Australian filly Delicacy produced an outstanding performance to record a most impressive victory in the 2015 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville this afternoon.

Western Australian raider Delicacy was far too good in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks

Western Australian raider Delicacy was far too good in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks. Photo by Jenny Barnes

Fontein Ruby was expected to take up the running in the early stages of the Australasian Oaks, but she was slow out of the gates and jockey Blake Shinn elected to take up the running on Vinery Stud Stakes winner Blake Shinn, while Delicacy was settled in the second half of the field.

Shinn was able to dictate the tempo of the Australasian Oaks on Fenway and the talented filly was still on the bit at the top of the straight and looked as though she was going to be very tough to beat, but Delicacy absolutely flew home when asked for an extra effort by jockey Peter Hall to record a maiden win at Group 1 level after taking out the Group 3 Western Australian Oaks (2400m) and Group 2 WATC Derby (2400m) in Perth.

Trainer Grant Williams was left slightly speechless with the impressive manner of Delicacy’s Australasian Oaks victory, but he was able to reveal that the Al Maher filly is a chance of backing up in the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville.

“It was a great ride, he used no petrol tickets early, that was our plan and it has paid off,” Williams said.

“We will just see how she pulls up and she may go to the Derby next week, but we will just let her tell us that.

“This is what it is all about.”

Jockey Peter Hall was only given the ride on Delicacy after William Pike suffered a dislocated shoulder in the lead-up to the race and was forced to give up the ride, but he gave the three-year-old a lovely run in transit and he was deserving of his first Group 1 victory.

Hall said that he rated the chances of Delicacy heading into the Australasian Oaks and the talented hoop was quick to pay credit to the explosive acceleration that the three-year-old shown when asked for an extra effort.

“She has an excellent turn-of-foot, she showed that through her summer campaign at Ascot and coming here today to Adelaide against a lot of good horses from right around Australia she has shown that same turn-of-foot again,” Hall said.

“She worked into the race coming around the corner, I was just lucky to get the split and away she went.

“It was a Group 1 and you might as well enjoy the moment.”

Delicacy has now recorded nine race wins from 13 starts and accumulated almost $1 million in prizemoney for owner Bob Peters.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.