English trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam will wake up to some welcome news with Gonnadancealot earning a ballot exemption into the VRC Oaks with her breakthrough win at Flemington.
Victory in Saturday’s Byerley Handicap (1800m), Melbourne’s longest two-year-old race, provided the winner a ballot exemption into the Victoria Racing Club’s Blue Riband events for three-year-olds in the spring, the Group 1 Victoria Derby or VRC Oaks.
With Jamie Kah aboard, Gonnadancealot ($6.50) raced outside the leader Catskill before taking over at the 400m mark and raced on to a 2-¾ length win from the $3.80 favourite Aktolgali with Turn It Up Tommy ($8.50) four lengths away third.
Gonnadancealot is prepared by Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock, and de Kock disclosed post-race the long association he and his father, leading South African conditioner, Mike have had with Chapple-Hyam.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to spend some time with Jane in Newmarket,” de Kock said.
“She runs out of the stable owned by South African clients of ours and all our horses passing through go through quarantine in the stable and she looks after them.
“Horses that hopefully have some Group 1 international potential definitely utilise her skills at that facility.”
De Kock said Gonnadancealot was likely to be put away for a campaign aimed at Oaks during the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington.
He said Saturday’s race had been on the filly’s radar for a couple of months.
“Each and every run she’s taken, she’s just improved,” de Kock said.
“Each and every week the riders just keep coming back and saying she’s never felt any better.
“We had the Oaks in the back of our mind leading into today, but we wanted to see a good performance from her today.
“I think we’ve seen a performance that’s worthy of making those sorts of considerations.”
