Vibrant Sun has produced a gutsy on-pace performance in the Australasian Oaks to come out on top in the Group 1 race for three-year-old fillies dominated by daughters of stallion The Autumn Sun.
Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Vibrant Sun went into Saturday’s 2000m feature at Morphettville with five weeks between runs since winning the Alexandra Stakes in Melbourne, after missing a planned lead-up race in the Auraria Stakes two weeks ago.
But that mattered little in the end as Vibrant Sun rolled along in front under jockey Mark Zahra and then beat off a challenge from New Zealand Oaks winner Pulchritudinous before holding on to defeat the closing Private Legacy and Coco Sun.
Vibrant Sun ($6) defeated Private Legacy ($18) by a half-head with another head to Coco Sun ($8.50) in third.
All three placegetters are by stallion The Autumn Sun.
The $5 favourite Wings Of Song was close up in fourth.
“Look, third-up at 2000, straight to the front, that was a huge effort by the filly,” Kent Jnr said.
“She missed a run in the Auraria, had a little setback, so it’s been a massive job by the whole team back at home. I’m rapt for them.
“What a gutsy effort by the filly.
“She was there to be beaten.”
The victory gave Kent Jnr his first Australasian Oaks in partnership with Price, while Price won the race in 2009 with Gallica.
Kent Jnr said they would take stock before deciding whether Vibrant Sun pressed on this campaign to a race like the Queensland Oaks.
“She’s put in a massive effort today,” he said.
“She doesn’t have to go anywhere now, she’s a Group One winner. So we’ll work it out on Monday morning.”
Zahra echoed the thoughts of Kent Jnr and said it was a gutsy performance from Vibrant Sun.
“I couldn’t have her much slower in the run,” Zahra said.
“I took my time getting there but that’s as steady as I could go, but she’s got a high cruising speed.
“I dropped my rein halfway down the straight and I was cursing that. I couldn’t pick it up but I just kept riding her out and it was a good, gutsy win.”
Craig Williams said Sydney-based filly Private Legacy was very game in defeat in her first attempt at racing in the anti-clockwise direction.
“It was a super run,” he said.
