Lightly raced Kirramosa raced into VRC Oaks favouritism with a last-to-first exhibition of staying power to win the Group Two Wakeful Stakes at Flemington.
The three-year-old’s Oaks odds were slashed from $9 to $3.50 and she has overtaken Wakeful runner-up May’s Dream at the top of the market for Thursday’s Classic.
Kirramosa, Tommy Berry - Photo by Sharon Chapman
With Tommy Berry riding, Kirramosa ($9.50) sat last in the 12-horse Wakeful field until around the 400m.
But Berry timed his run perfectly down the outside, reeling in the leaders late to beat the favourite May’s Dream ($2.25) by 1-1/4 lengths with Solicit ($7.50) a further half length away third.
Trainer John Sargent said he had not intended starting Kirramosa before the Oaks but she had been “jumping out of her skin” so plans were changed to get some of the freshness out of her system.
“She was just too fresh to go from a mile into a 2500m – she will be spot-on by Thursday,” Sargent said.
The Wakeful was Sargent’s first victory at Flemington.
Berry said Kirramosa would take some beating in the Oaks but he won’t be on her.
The ride has been promised to Nash Rawiller who couldn’t make her 54kg Wakeful weight.
But Berry told Sargent that if anything happens to Rawiller, he’s ready to step in.
May’s Dream’s trainer Darren Weir said she wasn’t disgraced, with the winner too good for his filly.
He said he will wait and see how she pulls up before confirming her place in the Oaks field.
