Australia: Rising filly Scarlet Oak makes Group 1 debut in Queensland Oaks

In less than three months, Scarlet Oak has gone from a debut win in New Zealand to a Group 2 winner in Australia.

On Friday evening at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane, Scarlet Oak will be favored to win her Group 1 debut in the $466,600 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm Racecourse in her fifth start.

Scarlet Oak is one of five runners in the 18-filly main body of the field trained by Chris Waller. The Waller-trained Tutta La Vita, who was placed in a Group 1 earlier this year, was withdrawn after American owner John Stewart told Australian racing media that he plans to send the filly to the United States for a campaign later this year.

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Scarlet Oak has won 3 of 4 starts and will be favored on the basis of a win in the Group 2 The Roses Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Doomben on May 26 in the longest start of her career.

The Queensland Oaks is run at 1 3/8 miles. Scarlet Oak was not helped by drawing post 15 in a big field. She has a tendency to run as a stalker, giving jockey James McDonald some flexibility about getting a favorable trip through the two-turn race.

The race begins in front of the stands on a course with a stretch run of slightly less than a quarter-mile.

The Waller-trained Ahuriri will not be troubled by the distance. A winner of 2 of 9 starts, she won the St. Leger Stakes at 1 3/4 miles at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on April 25 against males before finishing fifth by 4 1/4 lengths in the Group 1 South Australia Derby at 1 9/16 miles at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide on May 4.

The New Zealand-bred filly Molly Bloom is expected to be a factor from well off the pace, provided she can have a trouble-free trip. A three-time group stakes winner in New Zealand since November, Molly Bloom was fifth by 2 1/4 lengths in The Roses Stakes after a wide trip.

Scarlet Oak was 5-2 in early betting on Thursday, while Molly Bloom was the 4-1 second choice.

Eagle Farm has a nine-race program beginning at 9:43 p.m. Eastern or 6:43 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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