Racing: Sakura Girl will have to hot-foot it

Sakura Girl has drawn wide in tomorrow’s Queensland Oaks. Photo / Trish Dunell

Waikato trainer Ben Foote can see the funny side in his star filly Sakura Girl drawing out in the carpark for tomorrow’s Queensland Oaks.

“They must have got sick of our good fillies winning all their races,” cracks Foote.

Foote was referring to the Group 1 heroics of Legarto (Australian Guineas), Prowess (Vinery Stakes) and Pennyweka (ATC Oaks) during the autumn, all horses Sakura Girl has raced against with credit this season.

But facing starting from the outside barrier of 18 tomorrow, Foote needs something to put a smile on his face.

Not only has Sakura Girl drawn the outside barrier but the other Cambridge-trained filly in the Oaks, Cheval D’Or, has drawn to start from barrier 17 for trainer Tony Pike, so the Kiwi fillies face a daunting task over 2400m.

The local fillies, headed by late-season improver Affaire A Suivre and the Bjorn Baker-trained Renaissance Woman, have enough class to suggest the Australians may get their revenge.

But the Kiwi fillies’ tasks were made easier by favourite Fireburn being scratched yesterday afternoon.

Sakura Girl’s draw is especially cruel as she loves to run handy and jockey Opie Bosson now has a huge decision to make: roll forward and risk being trapped wide, or change her racing pattern in her last shot at Group 1 three-year-old glory.

“I’ll leave that up to Opie but she is very well. I aimed to peak her for this race and I am satisfied I have got her there,” says Foote.

Cheval D’Or is a later bloomer than Sakura Girl but her last-start win in the Trelawney Championship at Pukekohe was impressive and Pike has opted to go from that race six weeks ago fresh into the Oaks.

That is a similar preparation to the one that won Pinarello last season’s Queensland Derby and Cheval D’Or will be a rare Australian ride at the highest level for Michael McNab, who will soon be crowned our premier jockey for the second straight year but would love to start making inroads in Australia.

Before Foote saddles Sakura Girl he will be keeping an eye on races at Avondale and Whanganui.

He has Girls Light Up entered at Avondale and debutante Charmer in the $65,000 Castletown Stakes at Whanganui.