Midnight Oil To Burn In Australia

A trip to Australia is on the agenda for New Zealand Oaks winner Midnight Oil but Queensland is likely to win out over Sydney.

Trainer Paul Duncan said the Queensland Oaks on June 4 was the more favourable option as the filly was not nominated for the AJC Australian Oaks on April 16.

A late entry fee of $15,000 payable four days before the rave would enable her to run if the owners, of which Duncan is one, were swayed to the Sydney Classic.

For now the syndicate will celebrate the Group One victory at Trentham on Saturday which came a week after they exercised a $40,000 right of purchase on the filly who had been racing under a lease agreement.

The right of purchase decision was made easier after Midnight Oil won the Group Three Lowland Stakes at Hastings on March 5 to confirm an Oaks bid.

Midnight Oil was ridden in the Oaks (2400m) by Rosie Myers and was awkwardly placed near the home turn with a wall of horses in front of her.

Myers let Midnight Oil drift to the inside in the straight and in a strong staying performance the filly went on to score by half a length over Zennista.

Midnight Oil's win provided her sire Keeper with his second successive New Zealand Oaks win following the success of Keep The Peace last year.

There is also an Oaks winner of the maternal side of Midnight Oil's family, her great grand dam being Our Tristalight, winner of an AJC Australian Oaks and a South Australian Oaks.