Temple Of Bel has stamped her VRC Oaks credentials with a come-from-behind win at Caulfield.
The daughter of Bel Esprit took on the males in the three-year-old Alannah Hill Plate (1600m) on Wednesday and stormed away to a convincing win.
Trainer Archie Alexander, who saddles Lord Fandango in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup, joked he was ready to pack up and go home after the first 200m, but felt better when the leaders ran a quick mid-race section.
He said the filly had always shown staying ability despite being by former Blue Diamond Stakes winner Bel Esprit.
However the three-year-old is stoutly bred on her dam’s side with the granddam being Lisa’s Game, runner-up to Taufun’s Melody in the 1998 Caulfield Cup.
“Being by Bel Esprit it’s normally mad to be thinking of an Oaks but she’s a half-sister Wheal Leisure,” Alexander said.
“She’s a big, rangy girl that will get over a bit of a distance.
“She was only winding up in the last 400 metres so the Oaks is the target.”
Alexander said the Temple Of Bel would have her next start at either Moonee Valley on October 28 or the Wakeful Stakes at Flemington on November 4.
