Amokura took the giant leap to G1 company in her stride at Eagle Farm on Saturday, 3 June when she powered away to win the $700,000 Queensland Oaks, giving her New Zealand-bred sire Kermadec - a son of Teofilo - a fourth individual winner at the highest level.
The three-year-old filly graduated from a big maiden win at Newcastle in April and an easy Class 1 victory at the Sunshine Coast last month to dominate over the 2,200m staying journey and stamp her claims in even richer races in Melbourne later this year.
Patiently ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Damien Oliver, who notched his 128th G1 winner, Amokura had only six horses behind her at the halfway mark before Oliver found runs along the rails and eventually outside runner-up Reo.
The Kris Lees-trained and St Aubins Scone Partnership-bred and -owned Amokura burst through at the 200m mark and won running away by 1.63 lengths, with Noah ’N’ A Deal another 1.6 lengths away in third place.
Out of the Australian mare Fain, Amokura became the seventh Stakes winner for Kermadec.
The dual G1-winner has now sired four G1 winners, with Amokura joining Montefilia (4), Willowy and Tuvalu, while Trobriand (G2) and Listed race winners Gundec and Lim’s Kosciuszko have all saluted against Black-Type company.
Worldwide, Kermadec has sired 71 winners of 183 races - including 14 at Stakes level.
The stallion will stand this year at Darley’s Northwood Park stud in Victoria for a service fee of $16,500 including GST.
Amokura reigns supreme in the Queensland Oaks! 👑@Leesracing wins his second Queensland Oaks, while Damien Oliver scores his 128th Group 1 victory. pic.twitter.com/9U5IhnPO0e
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 3, 2023
Fascinating pedigree for Queensland Oaks winner Amokura for @Leesracing 👏👏👏 By @DarleyAus Kermadec by Galileo’s son Teofilo with the great Lees’ star Luskin Star in there too! 🐎🐎 pic.twitter.com/DUsKewUmO3
— Caroline (@CaroSearcc) June 3, 2023
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