Australasian Oaks: Steinem and Hela battle for favouritism after drawing inside barriers

Impressive filly Steinem remains the horse to beat in Saturday’s $500,000 Australasian Oaks (2000m) after drawing the inside barrier for the Group 1 feature at Morphettville.

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained three-year-old was installed as the $4.50 favourite with TAB.com.au after going from doghouse to the penthouse with the barrier gods for her grand final.

A fortnight earlier she had been forced to jump from the extreme outside in barrier 16 last start in the Group 3 Auraria Stakes.

It proved costly as Steinem was beaten as an odds-on favourite at Morphettville but far from disgraced when finishing within a length of the winner in fourth.

Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Jye McNeil will have no such troubles in the Oaks and Maher believes his daughter of Frankel can reap the benefits on the big occasion.

“We are feeling good,” Maher said.

“Obviously the barrier had a big bearing on her last run but this should allow her to be a lot closer and be midfield somewhere I would imagine.

“She has come through the run well and produced a good piece of work on Saturday.”

Unbeaten Tasmanian raider Hela also fared well with the Scott Brunton-trained galloper set to jump from barrier three.

The daughter of Night Of Thunder open as the $6 second elect but those odds were quickly snapped up and the filly was backed into $4.40 by Tuesday afternoon.

Hela put together seven consecutive wins in Tasmania before making the trip across from the Apple Isle.

Tassie horse Hela, trained, by Scott Brunton, is unbeaten.Source:Supplied

VRC Oaks winner Personal ($8) will be up against it to repeat the staying effort that saw her claim honours at Flemington in the spring after drawing barrier 17.

The Chris Waller-trained Brookspire, a winner at Caulfield last Saturday, is the only other horse in single digits in betting at $8 after drawing barrier seven with Michael Walker booked to ride.

A capacity field of 16 runners plus three emergencies was declared at Tuesday’s barrier draw which took centre stage alongside the Group 1 TAB Classic (1200m) draw at Morphettville.

Seventeen starters were confirmed for the fillies and mares sprint Classic, also known as the Robert Sangster Stakes, where Sydney raider Mizzy ($8) has drawn the inside.

Regan Bayliss will make the trip from Sydney to pilot the multiple Group 2 winner.

The Anthony Cummings-trained sprinter is on the second line of betting with Tony and Calvin McEvoy’s in-form mare Sisstar ($7.50) now holding top billing after drawing gate nine.

Sisstar is a full sister to the McEvoys’ former weapon Sunlight and will be aided by the services of in-form jockey William Pike as she chases a fourth consecutive victory this weekend.

Last year’s runner up Lyre ($10) will need to overcome a tricky draw in barrier 17 to go one better in 2021 while fellow Godolphin contender Flit ($9) has drawn one inside her.

The Chris Waller-trained Subpoenaed (barrier five) and Patrick Payne’s Rubisaki (barrier four) both fared well for the feature events.

Sisstar is favourite for the TAB Classic. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

GROUP 1 AUSTRALASIAN OAKS (2000m)

1 PERSONAL (Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes) Damien Oliver (17) 56kg

2 CHICA FUERTE (Anthony & Sam Freedman) Not Declared (8) 56kg

3 TOKORANGI (Michael Moroney) Mark Zahra (2) 56kg

4 HELA (Scott Brunton) David Pires (3) 56kg

5 LLANACORD (Stephen Nickalls) Brett Prebble (16) 56kg

6 ECUMENICAL (Mick Huxtable) Jessica Eaton (15) 56kg

7 TYCHE GODDESS (Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young) Luke Currie (5) 56kg

8 RIPPER RITA (Greg Eurell) Jamie Mott (10) 56kg

9 SIRILEO MISS (Symon Wilde) Craig Williams (9) 56kg

10 FLEXIBLE (James Cummings) William Pike (4) 56kg

11 MOZZIE MONSTER (John Sadler) Craig Newitt (14) 56kg

12 BROOKSPIRE (Chris Waller) Michael Walker (7) 56kg

13 STEINEM (Ciaron Maher & David Eustace) Jye McNeil (1) 56kg

14 FLYING MASCOT (Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes) Daniel Stackhouse (12) 56kg

15 MISS GOBCAIN (Mark Webb) Brian Park (18) 56kg

16 MEDIA AWARD (Chris Calthorpe) Luke Nolen (13) 56kg

EMERGENCIES

17 AMERICAIN ANGEL (Danny O‘Brien) Damian Lane (6) 56kg

18 SPECTACLE (Tony & Calvin McEvoy) Barend Vorster (11) 56kg

19 SHE‘S DREAMING (Nicole Bruggemann) Claudia Lions (19) 56kg

Mizzy is second favourite for the TAB Classic. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

GROUP 1 TAB CLASSIC FIELD

1 FLIT (James Cummings) Damien Oliver (16) 56.5kg

2 MIZZY (Anthony Cummings) Regan Bayliss (1) 56.5kg

3 SUBPOENAED (Chris Waller) Damian Lane (5) 56.5kg

4 PRETTY BRAZEN (Tony & Calvin McEvoy) Barend Vorster (7) 56.5kg

5 LYRE (Anthony & Sam Freedman) Luke Currie (17) 56.5kg

6 BROOKLYN HUSTLE (Jason Warren & Dean Krongold) Mark Zahra (15) 56.5kg

7 PROPHET‘S THUMB (Anthony & Sam Freedman) Craig Newitt (2) 56.5kg

8 SISSTAR (Tony & Calvin McEvoy) William Pike (9) 56.5kg

9 BAM’S ON FIRE (Ciaron Maher & David Eustace) Todd Pannell (12) 56.5kg

10 HUMMA HUMMA (John McArdle) Jamie Mott (10) 56.5kg

11 RUBISAKI (Patrick Payne) Billy Egan (4) 56.5kg

12 LI‘L KONTRA (Ryan Balfour) Brett Prebble (8) 56.5kg

13 PAUL’S REGRET (Peter Chow) Declan Bates (3) 56.5kg

14 STREET ICON (Kevin Corstens) Jason Holder (11)56.5kg

15 INSTANT CELEBRITY (Phillip Stokes) Craig Williams (6) 55kg

16 MUNTASEERA (Ciaron Maher & David Eustace) Jye McNeil (14) 55kg

17 NIGHT RAID (Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr) Michael Walker (13) 55kg

Originally published asMaher delighted with barrier for Oaks co-favourite

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