Australia: Oakfield Arrow targets berth in Provincial Championship Stakes

Two races into her 2022 campaign, the Australian filly Oakfield Arrow is in career-best form.

She won a seven-furlong handicap at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on Jan. 8, and three weeks later was beaten a nose in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at the same venue.

A 4-year-old, Oakfield Arrow has won 2 of 12 starts and is being given a clear goal in coming months – qualifying for the $360,200 Provincial Championship Stakes at seven furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on April 9.

To get there, Oakfield Arrow must earn a berth through a trial race, a series that begins Thursday at Newcastle Racecourse. Oakfield Arrow is part of a field of 16 in the Newcastle trial, which has a hearty purse of $108,060, the richest race of the filly’s career.

The Provincial Championship Stakes is restricted to horses from small to medium-sized stables based in the state of New South Wales. Australia’s leading stables are excluded from the series as judged by wins, or success in group-level races. The first two finishers of trial races earn berths.

Oakfield Arrow is trained by Kristin Buchanan, who won with 7 of 50 runners from Dec. 9 through Monday. Oakfield Arrow will be ridden by Sam Clipperton from post 2. The filly is quick enough to set the pace and has run well as a stalker.

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While Oakfield Arrow has excellent credentials, the role of favorite will go to Rustic Steel, a 4-year-old gelding who has won 4 of 8 starts. Trained by Kris Lees, Rustic Steel has started once in the last five months, finishing third by 2 3/4 lengths in a six-furlong handicap at Randwick on Feb. 5.

Rustic Steel, a closer, will race at seven furlongs for the first time at Newcastle. Last July and September, Rustic Steel won handicaps at 5 3/4 furlongs and 6 1/2 furlongs.

Astero, also a 4-year-old gelding, will gain support. Astero finished third behind Oakfield Arrow at Rosehill Gardens on Jan. 29 and won a seven-furlong handicap at Newcastle last May in his only appearance at the venue.

Newcastle has an eight-race program beginning at 9:15 p.m. Eastern, or 6:15 p.m. Pacific, on Wednesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.