Madam Publisher’s blistering win in WA Oaks

New Zealand bred filly Madam Publisher (Rock N Roll Heaven) scored her biggest win to date when she stormed down the outside to take out the $150,000 Tabtouch WA Oaks at Gloucester Park last night.

Despite drawing the inside of the back row, Madam Publisher had enough pace to settle three back on the rails. The hot favourite Water Lou engaged in a furious early battle with polemarker Xceptional Arma. Eventually Shannon Suvaljko was able to take the lead and settle in front but that clearly had taken a lot out of her.

Water Lou’s stablemate Lion Queen then made a move to sit outside the leader with Colin Brown’s pair of Xceptional Arma and Relatively Arma following the leaders. 

Stuart Macdonald on Madam Publisher bided his time and as the field sped up along the back straight he was able to extricate his filly off the rails. Water Lou was headed by Lion Queen on the final bend with Soho HoneyRider making a run out wide. But they were no match for Madam Publisher who quickly put paid to her rivals to score by 7 metres from the fast finishing Atlantic Gem and Lion Queen holding on for third placing. 

The win gave Madam Publisher and her trainer driver Stuart Macdonald their first Group 1 success. 

Commenting after the event an emotional Macdonald stated:

“I knew I had the horse if things went right. And they did. She proved me right. She’s a good horse. I didn’t think she was going to be this good when I first got her. But she’s come a long way. She’ll never be forgotten that’s for sure. I still have massive respect for the other horses in the field including Water Lou. I’ve had a lot of support from different camps all the way through my career and that’s been fantastic.”

Running her last quarter in 28.4 Madam Publisher returned a mile rate of 1.58.2 over the testing 2536 metres which proved beyond the efforts of many of her rivals. In her preparation this time in Madam Publisher had won 4 of her 7 appearances. She finished 7th in the Dainty’s Daughter at Gloucester Park a fortnight back but there were excuses as she was held up.

MADAM PUBLISHER REPLAY

Atlantic Gem proved that her surprise win in the Dainty’s Daughter was no fluke as she finished strongly from back in the field to get second placing and she will be hard to beat in similar placed company in the future. 

It was stated after the race that Water Lou will be spelled and that no abnormalities were reported. 

For complete race results, click here.

by Tony Milanese, for Harnesslink