Mark Zahra continued his sparkling spring form by guiding another emerging three-year-old to favouritism in a major Melbourne Cup Carnival feature following a dominant performance in a key lead-up event.

This time it was Getta Good Feeling, who proved far too strong in the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday, positioning herself as the clear front-runner for Thursday’s Group 1 VRC Oaks.

Zahra didn’t quite throttle down late in the same way he did when producing Observer to Vase glory last week, but the result was never in doubt and the premiership hoop gave a strong pointer to what might be ahead.

“She’s a very nice horse to ride,” Zahra said after replacing the suspended Billy Egan.

“She flew the start, then I was able to sit outside the leader on a moderate tempo, relaxed really well (and) she stargazed pretty much all the way up the straight.

“She did it effortlessly. With a bit of urging she focused a bit and it was just the sort of win you hope for going into an Oaks.”

The filly came into the Wakeful off a third placing in the Group 1 Guineas at Caulfield and reinforced her staying credentials with a composed and professional performance.

Sent out the $1.60 favourite, she defeated Strictly Business ($12) by 1-1/4 lengths, with outsider Voting Rights ($41) another length and a quarter back in third.

Getta Good Feeling – a daughter of So You Think – now looks to emulate Miami Bound, who completed the Wakeful–Oaks double for the same stable in 2019.

“We’ve made no secret of our respect for this filly from her first start in Geelong and we’ve had this week in mind for her,” trainer Danny O’Brien said.

“It doesn’t always play out as smoothly as what it has for her this spring but, so far so good.

“She’s going to go to the Oaks in great shape. She’s a filly that is big and strong by So You Think.

“He won a Mackinnon Stakes on this day about 15 years ago and he’s passed away so it is great to see his filly turning up and winning this and hopefully the Oaks on Thursday.”