Crimson Light (NZ) (Redwood) has won the A$150,000 Country Oaks, dashing best off a slow tempo at Yarra Valley on Good Friday and giving Mick Kent his second consecutive victory in the race.
The daughter of Redwood settled outside Hard Squeeze (All Too Hard), who came out on top when the pair clashed at Moonee Valley last start, but strode out under Craig Williams to lead outright down the back straight.
Williams put the foot on the pedal coming around the home turn, and in an instant the whole field went from travelling to chasing in a bit of a sit-and-sprint affair.
But despite Makrana (Pierro) ($4) and Whakamana (Sacred Falls) ($13) chasing valiantly, Kent’s galloper comfortably held her rivals at bay, securing back-to-back Country Oaks for the stable, after Deny Knowledge (Pride of Dubai) won last year’s edition at Geelong.
He was delighted to pick up another edition of the race, with a mare he firmly believes will measure up in Stakes grade.
“I love the staying mares, don’t we all, and there’s not many opportunities to run for this sort of money with them,” Kent said.
“She’s been coming up perfectly for this race, we actually wanted to take her to Sydney for the (Group 3) Epona, that’s how well she was going. She didn’t get a run so this was a good back-up.
“We didn’t really plan for her to lead, but she jumped outside the leader, and they went so steady it was a good move by the rider in the end… I was very conscious of her not getting cluttered up.
“She’s a really solid sort of mare, and we think she’s up to a bit better class than this, so we’re helpful of maybe going to Adelaide for the (Listed) Centaurea Stakes.”
