By Adam Hamilton
Classy Kiwi filly Coastal Babe has grabbed favouritism for the Group 1 Victoria Oaks.
The absence of Australia’s best filly, Very Pretty, combined with a gun draw in Saturday night’s heat, has Coastal Babe into $1.80 to win the final a week later.
Coastal Babe has won five of 12 NZ starts and is raced by the Summit Bloodstock team, who has a strong relationship with champion Aussie trainer Emma Stewart.
Coastal Babe has been based with Stewart for a couple of weeks and should use her quick early speed to lead from gate two in Saturday night’s Oaks heat.
The other Kiwi flavour in the series is Queensland Oaks winner Aardie B Miki, who will challenge for favouritism in the other Victoria Oaks heat.
The Chantal Turpin-trained filly has the speed to take advantage of gate five, but has four talented Emma Stewart-trained fillies to overcome, headed by another former Kiwi, Kiss, from gate one.
Stewart also holds the key to the Victoria Derby heats with nine runners across the two heats.
The standout is Bay Of Biscay, who turned heads with a slashing and unlucky second in the TAB Eureka at his latest run. He is a hot favourite to win heat two from gate four.
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New Zealand-bound trotting filly Keayang Zahara should stretch her unbeaten record to eight races in the $50,000 Need For Speed final at Melton on Saturday night.
Excitingly, Kiwis will get to see the Marg Lee-trained filly in the $500,000 The Ascent at Addington on November 15.
Keayang Zahara, who has been posting open-class trotting times, has the Victoria Oaks and possibly the Victoria Trotters’ Derby to come before crossing the ditch.
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Over in Perth, former NZ Oaks winner Aardiebytheseaside will be chasing her seventh win from as many starts in WA when she tackles a mares’ free-for-all at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Team Bond think so much of the mare, they are setting her to take on the boys in the $450,000 Group 1 WA Pacing Cup on November 8.
That race has been weakened this week by news stars Catch A Wave and Never Ending won’t be running.
Catch A Wave is staying in Victoria and will then chase the Sydney Inter Dominion.
While a lack of flights has left Never Ending stranded in Sydney since contesting the TAB Eureka on September 7.
On the same card, star WA filly Water Lou, who boasts 21 wins from 27 starts, will be a hot favourite in the $150,000 Group 1 WA Oaks.
