VRC Oaks Goal for Stratum Filly

Well related Kiwi three-year-old Miss Wilson made the perfect start to her Australian spring campaign with an effortless on-speed victory at Ballarat on Wednesday.

A half-sister by Stratum to the five-time Group I winner Jimmy Choux, she took out a fillies and mares maiden over 1400m for trainer Simon Morrish.

Bred and raced by Richard and Liz Wood, who have long enjoyed an association with Morrish, Miss Wilson had showed ability in the brief start to her New Zealand career with John Bary. Despite striking wet tracks, she finished in the money in all three of her starts.

“Special thanks to John Bary,” Morrish said.  I haven’t had the horse very long and he sent her over in wonderful condition.

“The owners have got lofty expectations and obviously it was good to see her do that.

“She’s in the Oaks. Whether she is good enough and whether she can stay, I’m not quite sure. I’m still learning about her and she’s a nice horse.”

Winning rider Dwayne Dunn was also complimentary.

“I didn’t expect to be the leader but she was there in second gear,” Dunn said. “When she got around the corner and I let her down and lengthen, she just put them away.

“She’s so raw and she’s got such a big stride. You can see why on wet tracks in New Zealand she wouldn’t have been able to get a hold of the track.

“Back on top of the ground, obviously they’ve got pretty high hopes for her and hopefully she can stand up.”

Morrish will now plot a course via a Benchmark 64 race at Ballarat prior to the Group I VRC Oaks (2500m) at Flemington on November 5.

Her sire Stratum might be a Golden Slipper winner, but has already proved his classic stripes as a sire with his star filly Streama winning the 2012 Group I ATC Australian Oaks.