As any breeder will tell you, black type updates for fillies and mares are vitally important to highlight the quality of their pedigrees, hence the downgrading of the Listed Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial no doubt came as a disappointment to the connections of winner Poplar Park, who made light work of the 2000m race, crossing the line 2,50 lengths clear of her field.
Muzi Yeni has Poplar Park in a rampant mood as she wins last Saturday’s Oaks Trial (Pic – JC Photos)
Let’s not forget KZN breeder Peter Blythe, who stands the filly’s underrated sire Last Winter at his Clifton Stud.
“I thought the race still carried black type status until a friend told me otherwise,” he remarked. “I am obviously very disappointed as she would have been a vitally important first stakes winner for Last Winter.”
The regally bred son of Western Winter, who arrived at Clifton after spending two seasons at Bush Hill Stud, is best remembered for his whirlwind finish in the 2018 Sun Met, where he fell short by a diminishing half-length to catch subsequent Horse of the Year Oh Susanna.
Poplar Park hails from her sire’s first crop.
Last Winter – top notch racehorse (Pic – Gold Circle)
It is no secret that the South African racing programme is not geared towards catering for middle distance horses and with so few staying races for fillies & mares, one cannot help but feel that Poplar Park has been robbed of a chance at black type.
The Oaks Trial has carried Listed status since it was first contested in 2008 and traditionally, has served as a stepping stone to the Gr2 SA Oaks.
That the race has lost its status comes as a bit of a surprise, given that its honours roll shows a good number of winners/placed fillies who went on to feature prominently in the 2450m classic.
Take inaugural winner Moon Stone for instance, she subsequently ran third in the Oaks to Happy Spirit, who had finished second in the Trial.
Flashback to 2013 – Fransie Herholdt drives Tuscan Lass up in the red and black silks to win the then Listed Oaks Trial (Pic – Supplied)
Arcola, third in the 2010 Trial, went on to Oaks glory and became the dam of stakes winners Fiorella and Verdier, whilst 2011 winner Ilha Grande subsequently ran third behind all-conquering Igugu in the Oaks proper.
Wind Chill was runner-up in the 2017 Trial, before going on to glory in the Oaks, whilst 2018 Trial winner Chariot Of Gold finished third in the Oaks. Four years later, Trial victress Light Of The Moon found only champion Rain In Holland her superior in the Oaks proper.
Last but not least, the most recent Oaks Trial winner Frances Ethel went on to a facile victory in the SA Oaks.
In 2020, the race was renamed in honour of legendary trainer Ormond Ferraris, who incidentally owned, bred and trained 2009 winner Opera Cloak. He also saddled 2012 winner Markofdistinction, with third place going to Demanding Lady, the dam of Charles Dickens!
Ormond Ferraris (Pic – JC Photographics)
As for Poplar Park, she is the second Oaks Trial winner trained by Robbie Sage, her victory coming twelve years after Tuscan Lass took the honours for the stable.
With the loss of its Listed status, Poplar Park will have to contest the Oaks proper to sniff at a first bit of black type, and having already won over 2400m, the trip will be right up her ally. From a pedigree perspective too, she ticks all the boxes.
Out of the Judpot mare Ruler Of The Sky, she is a half-sister to Zimbabwe Oaks winner New Galaxy; her grandam Darishka is a stakes-placed daughter of classic influence Darshaan; and she hails from the female line of American Champion 3YO Bernardini.
Poplar Park appears to have plenty more in the locker and will be chasing black type with every chance, after all that is where thoroughbred wars are fought.
