When Wylie Dalziel sat down in the autumn mapping out potential Spring targets for his large team of runners with the Hayes and Dabernig training team, it was an un-raced daughter of Tavistock that had them most excited. That filly was called Harlow Gold, and after her promising debut in an unsuitable race down the straight at Flemington back in May, the team immediately knew the VRC Oaks was on the agenda for this well bred commodity.
Well today it’s time to execute that plan with Harlow Gold lining up the Group 1 VRC Oaks over 2500m at Flemington at 5pm.
‘We sat down in the autumn and went through our potential spring horses and there was just something we always liked about this filly’ said an excited Wylie Dalziel.
‘She always showed us plenty on the track and being by Tavistock we were confident she would stay’
‘Our team work hard at the sales to select a good range of horses for our clients and we purchased Harlow Gold with the Oaks (VRC) in mind. It’s nice to see that dream become a reality today and hopefully we can do it all again in the autumn’.
‘No matter how she runs today we are very proud of this filly and we’re confident she will be even better as an autumn 3yo’.
Regular rider Regan Bayliss stays on board today and the pair will jump from gate 2 in what can be an awkward starting point from the 2500m at Flemington.
Like almost all editions of the VRC Oaks there is a short priced favourite, and deservedly so, in Yankee Rose. The Group 1 winning filly is coming off a Cox Plate third after winning the Spring Champion Stakes in Sydney in early October. However. after a tough campaign the Qld based filly has to turn up again today for yet another big Group 1 assignment and hopefully Harlow Gold, who is trained to the minute by Hayes, Hayes and Dabernig, can prove the better stayer and provide Dalziel Racing with a Group 1 Spring feature.
‘This has been the aim all along for our filly (Harlow Gold)’ Said David Hayes from his Euroa base.
‘They went too slow for her last start at the Valley and she will appreciate getting back to a big track in the Oaks’
‘I am confident she will stay the 2500m and hopefully that tells the story’
Best of luck to Team Harlow Gold
