Matt Laurie‘s remarkable Sydney autumn carnival continued in spectacular fashion on Saturday as his exceptional filly Treasurethe Moment ($1.55F) lived up to her short quote, securing her eighth consecutive victory in the Group 1 $1 million Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick.

Laurie, who had already tasted Group 1 success this preparation with Treasurethe Moment in the rescheduled Vinery Stud Stakes and Vinrock in last week’s Inglis Sires’, added the prestigious Oaks to his burgeoning record.

The daughter of Alabama Express became the first filly since Hungry Heart in 2021 to complete the coveted Vinery Stud Stakes / Australian Oaks double after dominating her three lead-up runs.

Adding to her impressive resume, Treasurethe Moment also claimed the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) at Flemington last spring, showcasing her staying prowess across state lines.

Despite the weight of expectation as the odds-on favourite in the opening Group 1 on Day 2 of The Championships, Laurie admitted to some pre-race nerves.

“I was pretty nervous about today. I mean, small field and, you know, often they can be a bit kind of messy,” he told Sky Thoroughbred Central. 

“It was sort of slow to watch. Didn’t have a great deal of cover at times, was on the wrong lead. Then they all came off the turn. She was under siege.

“We haven’t seen that for a while and to see her dig deep in the concluding stages, just an incredible effort and I couldn’t be prouder of the horse and the team to help get it to this point.

“I knew she’d keep coming. Her work’s just been incredible. The last month has been unbelievable. I’m not sure whether we’ll be coming to this sort of distance range anytime soon.”

“Damian (Lane) will give us a good guide on the following preparation, but I’m obviously just a bit emotional about the last few months.

“Well, I think certainly a race with a bit more pace on, when you have small fields, there’s a likelihood that you’re going to get that lesser sort of pace.

“She’s got an incredible heart, so it’s a great story. I mean, I don’t know many that have gone right through from winning the Wakeful to winning today, but I guess there wouldn’t be too many of them.

“I’ve got full faith in the horse, and we’ll just enjoy this preparation and what she’s achieved, I’m sure she’ll come back with a bang next time.

“You have a plan, but you don’t expect things to go the way you dream. To have it work out the way it has for us is just unbelievable. We had four races mapped out for her to win and to do it, is just amazing.”

Star hoop Damian Lane continued his successful partnership with Treasurethe Moment, expertly guiding the filly to her third Group 1 triumph.

After settling midfield, Lane navigated the field around the home turn, positioning Treasurethe Moment to challenge the front-running $51 outsider, Sun ‘N’ Sand.

The Barbara Joseph and Paul & Matt Jones-trained Sun ‘N’ Sand, backing up quickly after a fourth in the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes, showed immense courage leading the field for the majority of the gruelling 2400m journey.

Inside the final 250m, Sun ‘N’ Sand looked poised for a massive upset, battling fiercely alongside Kris Lees‘ You Wahng ($21), who was also on a seven-day turnaround after finishing third in the Adrian Knox.

However, the class of Treasurethe Moment shone through in the final stages, as she surged late, collaring Sun ‘N’ Sand in the shadows of the post to secure a narrow but decisive victory for her many supporters.

“Yeah, she’s a beauty, she’s a pleasure to ride, she got me out of a bit of a sticky spot at the top of the straight,” Lane said after the win.

“The leader really sprinted well, and I probably gave her a bit too much leeway and had a bit of ground to make up.

“She ended up knuckling down when it counted, just those real good special horses, just find a way.

“With 100m to go, she knuckled down and when those in front were getting tired, she just found the line.”

You Wahng bravely held on for third, while the New Zealand Oaks winner Leica Lucy ($4.20), from the Chris Waller stable, produced a strong late effort on her Australian debut to finish a close fourth.

2025 Australian Oaks Results

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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