Though there was a gap between the first two, Kris Lees has a knack for finding Oaks winners notching his third win in the Queensland Oaks across two decades.
With his first victory in the Group 1 feature for three-year-old fillies delivered by Vitesse Dane in 2005, his second by Amokura in 2023, You Wahng outstayed her rivals over the 2200-metre journey in a driving finish for his third at Eagle Farm.
Lees praised Tommy Berry’s ride aboard You Wahng from barrier seven.
“Lovely ride from Tommy,” Lees said.
“He was able to get us straight across from the gate and got into a lovely position in running.”He had a lot of horse coming to the corner, but I was always just a little guarded that last furlong when she presented, but she was able to find under pressure. You Wahng ($19), out of a mare named Wahng Wah, denied James Cummings another Brisbane win at the highest level in the sunset of his training days with Godolphin by a short-head margin with Pinito ($6).
A gear change made the difference for Lees’ filly on this occasion.
“She ran really well in an ATC Oaks,” Lees added.
“I think she was very plain at Gosford when we just gave her a fresh run. We applied a tongue tie, and it’s really worked out well.”
Luckless in the Group 2 The Roses (2000m) last start at Doomben, Australasian Oaks winner Benagil ($7) was again an unlucky runner in the straight to finish ¾-length away in third.”She was very stiff,” jockey Mark Zahra said.
“She probably should have won. She just lacks gate speed which meant we ended up on the inside, so we had a few traffic issues before we got clear air.”
Race favourite Philia ($4.40) finished eighth with Kerrin McEvoy commenting that his filly failed to muster early speed and was unable to take up a suitable position in the run.
