When a trainer identifies an Oaks prospect early and the horse continues to perform well enough to justify following a path to that big Group 1 race, that, in the first instance, is a very satisfying result for the stable.
David Vandyke made no secret of the fact he held that view of the chestnut filly Moszur from very early on and the daughter of Churchill continues to please her trainer as, with each passing start, she brings the Queensland Oaks option more and more into sharp focus.
On Saturday, at Doomben, Moszur made it three wins in a row when she outgunned Ichiban, the Chris Waller trained race $1.95 favourite, in driving finish which said as much about her fighting qualities as it did about her developing ability.
“It was a fantastic win. She’s only little. A little filly like her carrying 59.5kg. It was a massive effort for a three-year-old filly to win with 59.5kg over that distance,” said Vandyke.
“The speed was on the whole way. If ever she was going to be tested to run a 2200m Oaks with a run carrying 59.5kg over 2020m … that was it … and now we can really look forward getting her to the Oaks.
“I wanted to get her fit well before the Oaks, so that I could just keep freshening her up and spacing her runs.
“She is very finicky. Up until now she hasn’t held condition. She sweats up a bit. She is a very busy filly. If she had the normal path to the Oaks, she wouldn’t get there. She would be flat.
“She doesn’t like the heat. We’ve had to manage that. Going into the cooler months will be a big benefit for her. She’ll hold a bit more condition … and have that bit more strength.
“It is obviously still one day at a time with her, but we will head towards to Oaks knowing she will carry the weight and run the journey.”
Vandyke will be looking to land his second Group 1 Queensland Oaks victory with Moszur, having previously taken out that honour with Gypsy Goddess, who followed a completely different three-year-old campaign to Maszur.
Gypsy Goddess already had a third place finish in the Group 1 Vinery Stakes (behind Fangirl) and a runner-up finish in the Group 1 Australian Oaks (behind El Patroness) to her name before taking on … and taking out … the Queensland Oaks.
In that respect, Moszur has a difficult act to follow for the Vandyke stable … but, to date, it is a case of so far, so good!
