Bohemian Lily has thrown out a serious challenge to Winx in next week’s Queensland Oaks with a dominant all-the-way win in The Roses at Doomben.
Jockey Blake Shinn gave a dashing display aboard Bohemian Lily ($3.50) who thrashed her rivals to win by four lengths.
The filly clocked an impressive 2min04.08secs, 0.58secs quicker than Upham recorded in winning the Grand Prix Stakes over the same distance two races earlier.
Shinn has vowed to make next week’s Group One Queensland Oaks (2200m) a true staying test when Bohemian Lily clashes with Winx who scored an astonishing last-to-first win in the Sunshine Coast Guineas last Saturday.
“This filly likes to bowl along in front and she’s a natural stayer,” Shinn said.
“I’d be more confident if the Oaks was over 2400 metres but I’ll ride her to her strengths and she’s got the right attributes for a stayer.”
Shinn acknowledges it won’t be an easy task taking on the Chris Waller-trained pair Winx and Ballet Suite in the Oaks but is confident Bohemian Lily will push them to the limit.
“She’s made good progress since she’s been up here and she’s got one more box to tick next week,” he said.
“The Oaks is her grand final and it’s going to be a great race against Winx and Ballet Suite.”
Trainer Gai Waterhouse said Bohemian Lily relished the genuine tempo established by Shinn.
“I knew she would appreciate getting into a proper rhythm because her last race here was a stop-start tempo which didn’t suit her,” she said.
“The penny’s really dropped with her since she’s been in Queensland and it’ll take a very good horse to beat her next week.”
New Zealand Oaks runner-up Platinum Witness, the $2.80 favourite, was on the wrong leg racing in the clockwise direction for the first time and laboured in the straight to finish sixth.
