The Marc Conners-trained Rebel Rama has booked her ticket to the Queensland Oaks after winning the De Bortoli Wines Handicap (benchmark 72, 2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
The Daughter of Dissident ran home strongly down the Rosehill straight, notching up her second win of her career by 0.62 lengths.
The win takes her earnings to over $125,000 from just eleven starts and improves Conners strike rate to 16% winners from his last 50 runners.
Conners said he was confident Rebel Rama would get the job done on Saturday.
“She had done nothing wrong, her last start at Newcastle was very good I thought, and she was very unlucky not to win,” he said.
“We were going to run her a fortnight ago, but we decided to just wait for this race.
“It seemed the right type of race for her and if she won, we would be entitled for her to go to Queensland and be a legitimate chance in the Oaks with her.”
Rebel Rama clocked the fastest last 600m sectional of the race, showing her staying ability at the end of the 2000 metre contest.
Her next target is the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) with the Warwick Farm-based trainer aiming to add a second Group 1 to his name.
Despite heading north to the Sunshine State, it wasn’t the original plan for Rebel Rama.
“We were tempted to take her to Adelaide for the Australasian Oaks but that sort of fell over, so this was our plan B,” he said.
“It’s all starting to fall into place now.
“She’s a three-year-old filly that we think can stay.
“She’s had a fairly long preparation this time, so she’ll have that run in Queensland then she’ll have a nice break up there.
“Then we’ll try and find a nice program for her after that.”
Conners has Starstruck Barbie engaged in the ACY Securities Handicap for the two-year-old fillies over 1250m at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Andrew Adkins will partner the daughter of Star Turn, who Conners says will be better when she gets over more distance.
“She’s a nice filly,” he said,
“She’s probably not there yet, her run at Canterbury the other day was probably better than it looked.
“I think she’s going to improve again on whatever she does on Wednesday, then we’ll probably step her up to a 1400m the start after and I think you’ll probably see the best of her by then I think.”
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au
