Melbourne mare Oregon’s Day secured a start in the Group 1 $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) with a dominant win in the Group 2 $358,000 Attwood Marshall A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast today.
Caulfield trainer Mick Price now has two weeks to get Oregon’s Day prepared to run the 2000m at Doomben which will be her first attempt at the mile and a quarter trip.
Stable representative Pat Kearney thinks that won’t be a problem looking at the way she ran through the line at the end of the 1800m in the A.D. Hollindale Stakes today.
“We are very happy with her and onto the Doomben Cup now and hopefully she can pinch that as well and we will be very happy this prep,” Kearney said.
“We had to get past the 1800m, she has done a super job and now to the 2000m at Doomben.”
Top local jockey Jim Byrne produced another first class ride on Oregon’s Day who raced in a forward position from a midfield barrier.
“She ran super. It was obviously a great ride by Jim Byrne. He pretty much rode to instructions and we are very happy,” Kearney said.
“She has been a bit unlucky in Sydney and has come up here and it was a good run.”
Oregon’s Day wasn’t far off the mark during the Sydney Autumn Carnival with a second in Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill, a second in the Group 2 $200,000 Jim Beam Emancipation Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill and a fourth in the Group 1 $1m Coolmore Legacy Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Byrne gave Oregon’s Day ($6) plenty of space in the straight and the mare went on to record a one and a half lengths win over professional placegetter Tom Melbourne ($6.50) with $51 outsider Man Of His Word running on from the back for third.
The $3 favourite Comin’ Through, one of five runners form the Chris Waller stable, had a tough run and never really threatened to finish sixth.