Miss Mossman (NZ) Stays Strong in NZ Oaks

An upset was caused by Miss Mossman (NZ) (Mossman) in the Group 1 $300,000 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham with punters letting the filly start at $24.50 with the TAB.

Miss Mossman (NZ) wins the Group 1 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks. Photo courtesy of Trish Dunell.

Trainer John Sargent, in partnership with Hayden Allen in New Zealand, picked up his second Oaks victory of the season following the Group 1 VRC Oaks win by fellow Karaka graduate Kirramosa (NZ) (Alamosa).

The daughter of Mossman carried solid form entering the race having finished second behind race-favourite Miss Selby (NZ) (O’Reilly) in the Group 3 Lowland Stakes at her previous start and had competed against the best fillies throughout the season.

Jockey Johnathon Parkes positioned Miss Mossman perfectly early in the running over the 2400m staying distance, placing her fifth on the rail with Miss Selby on her outside. Parkes was able to get a jump on Miss Selby around the corner and sprinted to the lead halfway down the straight.

There was no catching the Karaka Select Sale graduate as she ran out the full 2400m strongly to win by 3.5 lengths at the line ahead of Miss Selby in second and Rock Diva (NZ) (Lucky Unicorn) in third.

“It was a fantastic win,” stated Sargent. “Her last run in the Lowland Stakes showed that she was hitting the line hard over the last 200m so I wasn’t too worried about the distance, I was more worried about getting a good run in the race, which she did and hit the line very strongly.

“Earlier on we thought she was bred to go over shorter distances but as we stepped her up over a mile and further in her work she showed the further she goes the better she gets.

“We are just having a talk with the owners now about whether she goes over to Australia for the Group 1 AJC Oaks in a month’s time.

“That maiden race at Matamata last year was phenomenal, the winner was Kirramosa, the second horse was Puccini and she was third at her first start. It does show you how they can keep going up.

“She wasn’t an expensive buy from Westbury Stud but the Mossman’s are doing well in Australia, he is a very promising sire. His progeny either sprint of stay and she has gone the staying way being out of a Danehill mare, a very good broodmare sire.”

Saturday’s Group 1 victory was the third success in Miss Mossman’s career from 19 starts for owners RBC Racing, earning them $221,740 in prizemoney. Sargent purchased the filly at the 2012 Karaka Select Sale for just $25,000 from Westbury Stud.

Bred by Gerry Harvey, Miss Mossman is by Vinery Stud sire Mossman, the sire of three Group 1 winners now. She is out of Dane Promise (Danehill) and is the fourth winner from the mare who is from the family of Group 1 Australian Derby winner Ivory’s Best (Best Western).

Miss Mossman earned 12 points in the final leg of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, taking her total to 15 points. Miss Selby collected 7 points for finishing second and Rock Diva earned her first points in the Series as she collected 3.5 points for third.

Miss Selby was the only horse that had a chance to overtake Series leader Costa Viva (Encosta de Lago), who did not compete in the Group 1 Oaks, but her brave second was not enough to catch the Te Akau Racing gallop who won the Series on 20.5 points, 1.5 points clear of Miss Selby on 19 points. The full story on the Filly of the Year Series can be viewed here.