Racing: Less traditional road to Oaks

Forget the Royal Stakes and the other traditional black type filly lead-ups.

For two runners at least, the 2000m maiden race at Thames tomorrow has again taken on just as much significance on the road to the New Zealand Oaks.

A host of Oaks runners have come out of this event, including 1993 Trentham winner Miltak, and the connections of Zaria and Danex are hoping the trend continues.

"French Lady won this race for us last year before running fourth in the Oaks," said Danex's part-owner Paul Moroney.

"I rate this filly every bit as good but in saying that, the fillies are overall much stronger this year.

"They're the best bunch I've seen for a long time."

Moroney had originally hoped to qualify Danex, an early US$10 fixed odds fancy for Trentham, in a 2000m three-year-old race at Woodville tomorrow.

Any filly who runs in the first three there is exempt from the Oaks ballot and Moroney had his sights on a US$35,000 bonus to boot.

But the winless Danasinga filly, who is trained at Matamata by his brother Michael and Andrew Scott, was rated as second emergency only.

"That's the reason Andrew Calder and not Michael Coleman is riding her at Thames," said Moroney.

"Michael had already taken a ride at Thames thinking we were heading to Woodville instead."

Moroney knows Danex, who was a certainty beaten over 2000m at Te Rapa on December 18, must win at Thames tomorrow to have any chance of making the Oaks field on January 22.

Even then, given the volume of fillies showing form over middle distances this season, shes no guarantee to make the field.

But Moroney rates her a huge chance if she does make the final line-up.

"I know she'll get every inch of the 2400m while I think some of the others will struggle.

"I think there's a big question mark over Justa Tad. I thought she had every chance to win over 2000m and didn't."