Powers of Opal out to stake Oaks claims

[Wandering Eyes]

Expat Kiwi John Sargent is noted as a trainer of staying fillies and two of the Randwick conditioner’s leading Oaks hopefuls will be given the chance to showcase their wares this week.

Stablemates Powers Of Opal (NZ) (Ocean Park) and Inevitable Truth (Fastnet Rock) both have the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m) as their carnival goal but the pair will take different paths towards it.

Powers Of Opal will have her next start in Saturday’s Gr.2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill before heading to the blue riband via the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m).

Inevitable Truth heads to the Gr.3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m) on Friday, hoping to stake her credentials and emulate the feat of Sargent’s former smart mare Luvaluva, who won it in 2018.

Runner-up in the Gr.1 VRC Oaks (2500m) Powers Of Opal ended up on an inferior section of the track when unplaced behind Lady Shenandoah first-up in the Gr.1 Surround Stakes (1400m) after making good headway between the 400m and 200m.

Saturday’s race will be another stepping stone but Sargent predicts an improved performance.

“On what I’m seeing in the last couple of weeks, she has definitely gone up a level,” Sargent said.

“Hopefully you see it on Saturday and then she will really be in the thick of it in the Vinery and the Oaks.

“She is still probably short of her best distance on Saturday but with Lady Shenandoah out and a couple of others, I’d like to see her hitting the line strongly.”

Powers of Opal chased home star filly Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) in both the Gr.2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) and the VRC Oaks and Sargent is conscious that Powers Of Opal will need to continue to improve to foot it with her key rival in the Vinery and Oaks.  

“We will have to go up a level,” he said.  “Let’s hope she doesn’t travel too well. She looks extraordinary and she has just carried on with how good she was in the spring so we will have to lift our game to take her on in the Vinery.

“I think our filly can do that. She is on her home turf now, she doesn’t have to go far to race and once we get out in distance, let’s hope we can improve because Treasurethe Moment has been very impressive in Melbourne.” Sargent outlaid $130,000 to purchase Powers Of Opal at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale from the draft of Curraghmore, and returned to the source to secure her yearling half-sister by Proisir for $700,000 in conjunction with Duncan Ramage and Spicer Thoroughbreds.

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