KEY POINTS:
If you are after early fixed-odds value for the New Zealand Oaks, the Te Rapa card today is stacked with potential bookie-busters.
There are at least a dozen high-priced hopefuls - even more if you count the ballots - pushing their claim for a place in the $300,000 feature at Trentham on March 17.
As you would expect, most of the lightly raced fillies hardly register on the TAB's Oaks' radar this far out.
But one who hasn't escaped early attention is the John Sargent-trained maiden graduate Vestvagoy.
Despite recording just the one win in modest Hastings company, the half-sister to last season's exciting Central Districts' 3-year-old Kiwi Crown is already backed down to a $16 Trentham fancy.
"She's a big scopey filly who got the distance at Hastings, but whether she's a year away we'll find out tomorrow [Wednesday]," said Sargent.
"This race will tell us whether we carry on. But there's no reason why she won't go a good race.
"She's fit and well and although it's a step up from Hastings, it's only what you'd call a medium 3-year-old field in quality."
The tote may again be the best guide today for the Matamata filly named after a Norwegian island; the stable got pocketfuls at Hastings.
In her previous start, Vestvagoy, who is co-owned by Auckland Blues assistant coach Josef Schmidt, was stone-cold in the betting, starting a despised 16th favourite in a 16-horse Pukekohe field.
But on the strength of her fast-finishing seventh that day over 1600m, she jumped at just $3.70 at Hastings in her middle-distance debut.
Sargent was impressed with the way the Victory Dance 3-year-old found the line on New Year's Day for rider Darryl Bradley from the back of the field.
And although she only beat a weak lot, she ran more than a second faster than Samantha Jane did in beating R76 rivals in the next race over the same trip.
Stablemate Virginie could be the value runner from the Sargent stable today after escaping the ballot in the final event.
The Montjeu 4-year-old has been a costly failure of late, but an unlucky run last time out here hinted she could be back near her best.
"Tomorrow [Wednesday] will tell us a lot," said Sargent.
"I'd like to see her step up. She has blinkers on for the first time which should sharpen her up."
Virginie was rated an Oaks chance herself this time last year before her form tailed off.
Meanwhile, trainer Allan Sharrock is still hopeful of salvaging an Oaks campaign for Whodat Cugat, despite her injury-enforced defection from a maiden 1400m event at Te Rapa today.
Sharrock said yesterday that his exciting Soliloquy Stakes-placed maiden was still feeling the effects of a bruised heel.
"She's just about there, but I don't want to risk it; she's a nice filly," he said. "She's definitely an Oaks contender but if we don't get going soon, she could end up an Oaks runner somewhere else."
