Chris Waller trained Royal Descent to win the ATC Oaks in her first campaign of racing and he might have to ask Made to Order to replicate the feat.
Royal Descent started her run towards last season’s Oaks triumph with a Canterbury midweek win in December and while Made to Order is more experienced at the same stage of their careers, there are striking similarities in their progress.
Made To Order - Photo by Steve Hart
In her first middle-distance test, Made to Order made it two wins from five starts with a hard-earned victory against the males in the Australian Turf Club Handicap (1800m) at Randwick on Thursday.
It confirmed again her promise but stable spokesman Peter Muscott said he wasn’t sure how Waller would go about getting Made to Order to the $1 million ATC Oaks at Randwick in April.
“It’s a very awkward time to back off her now but even with a short let-up that is still probably within her grasp,” Muscott said.
Either way, jockey Peter Robl reckons the filly will be there when the Oaks is run.
“She’s got the breeding, she’s got the size and more importantly she’s got the ability,” he said.
Robl gave Made to Order, who firmed from $3.30 to start favourite at $3.20, the sweetest trip in the race as he brought her from fourth to firstly wear down third-placed Frespanol ($5) before she held off Nightingales ($3.40) to win by a neck.
“We didn’t expect her to sprint today but she was always going to beat them and she did it quite comfortable in the end,” Robl said.
“She’s a lovely filly … and after I rode her last time I said to Chris she’s got an Oaks trip written all over her.”
