Arabian Gold In Eagle Farm Test Run

Queensland Oaks favourite Arabian Gold will have a familiarisation tour of Eagle Farm ahead of a nervous few days for her trainer.

Arabian Gold will gallop at a special trackwork session (Tuesday) morning in preparation for Saturday’s Oaks and David Vandyke admits to being a little anxious.

The filly earned favouritism for the classic with her dominant performance in the traditional lead-up, the Doomben Roses, her fourth win over 2000 metres.

“Of course I’m very nervous with an even-money favourite in a Group One race,” Vandyke said. “I’ve never won one. I’ve won a few Group Twos but not a Group One.”

Vandyke is counting on Arabian Gold’s class to come to the fore in the Oaks because he is unsure about her over the distance.

“She is not a genuine 2400-metre horse but she has the quality and has had the right preparation to get the distance,” he said. “Often they can get the distance when they are three because of their class. I think she has that.”

Arabian Gold is raced by her breeder Nick Moraitis, sporting the grey, pink and white colours made famous by champion Might And Power.

After the filly ran sixth in the VRC Oaks in the spring, Vandyke decided she would not be aimed at last month’s Australian Oaks at Randwick in the belief that Queensland was the easier option to test her over 2400 metres again.

Arabian Gold is the TAB’s $1.90 favourite for the Oaks, with the final field to be declared on Wednesday.

New Zealand filly Telepathic is to be saved for the Queensland Derby a week later, leaving Rock Diva and Tinto as the equal second picks at $6. Tinto finished second in the Doomben Roses while Rock Diva was a late closing sixth.

– The Informant

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