Three star fillies ready for an Oaks showdown

Former Kiwi Nathan Purdon is ready to spoil the party for two ‘gun’ harness racing fillies in Saturday night’s $200,000 John Gibson Memorial NSW Oaks.

For several weeks the Oaks has been hailed as a showdown between Madrid and Just Remember Me and just to add fuel to those fires, the pair have met twice for a win each in lead-up races to the three-year-old fillies’ classic.

That was until Purdon arrived on the scene last weekend with his up-and-coming filly Amore Vita, who made everyone sit up and take notice as she clocked her fifth successive win in taking out the first heat of the NSW Oaks at Menangle on Saturday night, rating 1:55.2 over the 2400m journey in scoring a 10-metre win over Steno and Just Hope.

This daughter of Art Major has won seven of her nine starts since arriving on our shores with Purdon, who is the son of legendary trainer Mark Purdon.

On Saturday night, she was driven by Menangle’s leading reinsman Cameron Hart in the first NSW Oaks heat although Hart intends switching to Madrid on Saturday night.

Amore Vita has shown enough gate speed at her recent starts to suggest she’ll be driven aggressively out of the gate and thrust into the action early in Saturday night’s feature.

Meanwhile the local hero, Madrid, scored her fifth Menangle win from seven starts there when she led all the way last weekend in the second Oaks heat and is perfectly-drawn in gate four this weekend to add to her Group 1 Breeders Challenge success at the No.1 track in October.

The other star New Zealand filly, Just Remember Me, has an awkward draw on the outside of the front line for trainer Cran Dalgety and local reinsman Jack Trainor.

Beautifully-bred by Captaintreacherous out of former champion mare Adore Me, Just Remember Me has won three from four this season and continues to improve every time she goes onto the track.

Until last week, that is, when she raced without cover for most of the journey and wilted slightly in the straight to finish fifth to Madrid.

The ever-patient Trainor will be hoping for a softer run this weekend and a serious shot at dive-bombing the two star fillies in the straight the final time.

Final field for the $200,000 John Gibson Memorial NSW Oaks (2400m), with drivers still to be finalised:

1. Lets Party Baby by Bettor’s Delight – Chris Geary
2. Mykorona by Four Starzzz Shark – Aaron Dunn
3.  Miss Chantilly by Captaintreacherous – Blake Jones
4.  Madrid by Bling It On – Cameron Hart
5. Chevrons Bypass by Captaintreacherous – Blake Hughes
6. Goldies A Delight by Bettor’s Delight – Robert Morris
7. Racy Roxy by Mr Feelgood – Robert Morris (Em 2)
8.  Steno by Sweet Lou – Jack Callaghan
9.  Amore Vita by Art Major – Cameron Hart
10. Just Hope by Bettor’s Delight – Nathan Jack
11. Soho Rhapsody by American Ideal – Will Rixon (Em 1)
12. Just Remember Me by Captaintreacherous – Jack Trainor

Club Menangle