Racing: Foreal hits Oaks Trail

Anthony Butt has one simple rule when it comes to driving Foreal in the $100,000 Great Northern Oaks at Alexandra Park on Monday night.

The leading driver intends to keep the champion filly out of any early trouble or interference in the Group One event.

Foreal has been in staggering form this season, scoring four consecutive wins impressively in the hands of Butt.

The Washington VC-sired three-year-old was in outstanding form at her last start when she overpowered a strong field of age group rivals to win the (Group Two) $81,000 IRT Sires Stakes Fillies Championship at Alexandra Park.

Foreal raced three wide then sat outside the leader before lengthening stride effortlessly in the home stretch to defeat Miss Bubbles and Robyn Blue. The ease of the victory stunned Butt.

"Her effort to win her last start was unbelievable because we did a bit of work to get around the field and sit outside the leader and I was easing her down at the finishing line," said Butt.

"She just seems to be getting better with each run she's had this season. If she's in the form she was when last racing, the fillies in the Great Northern Oaks are in serious trouble.

"We'll come into barrier six with the scratching of the first emergency and I'll just get her out of the mobile gate and see what happens.

"She can race anywhere in the field and the luxury of a 2700 metre race is that you don't have to panic early on if things don't work out.

"There's no doubt in my mind that she'll run out the 2700 metre distance of the Great Northern Oaks because she did plenty of work to win her last start and won with plenty in hand.

"Although her last-start win was over 1700 metres she feels like an Oaks filly to drive."

Butt is quick to label Miss Bubbles, Robyn Blue and Kamwood Cully as the three main dangers to the favourite.

Robyn Blue has been a model of consistency since travelling north from Christchurch to race from the Pukekohe stable of Clare and Dave McGowan.

Miss Bubbles caught the eye with an impressive debut right-handed at Alexandra Park when powering home from well off the pace to finish second behind Foreal in the IRT Sires Stakes Fillies Final.

Kamwood Cully was the champion two-year-old filly last season and has had no luck this campaign in two starts from the South Auckland stable of Barry Purdon.

"When I reviewed the video tape of Foreal's last-start win, the runner that caught my eye was Miss Bubbles.

"She got well off the pace in this sprint event and made up a stack of ground on us at the finish.

"Robyn Blue has been racing really well at the Auckland Cup meeting and I have a lot of respect for Kamwood Cully because she was superb as a 2-year-old last season."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY