Roger James’ history of picking off Australian Group 1 races for three-year-old fillies stretches right back to the start of the 21st century and he will look to tick off another feature this Saturday.
The Kiwi horseman and his co-trainer Robert Wellwood will have Confesara in the $1 million Australasian Oaks at Morphettville in Adelaide.
The 2000-metre event will be the Australian debut for the daughter of Toronado, who is yet to race beyond 1500m, but a strong second placing to stablemate Dealt With in a 1300m trial at Cambridge last Tuesday confirmed her trip.
“She ran second to another one of ours, a good open (class) sprinter, and they ran a very quick time, so her trial was good and it will improve her,” James said.
“She’s another filly that lacked a bit of luck at times during the season, but she’s a highly-talented filly.
“We always thought she was up to an Australian trip but we sat at home and took things quietly and her form dictated that we’re on the right path.”
James knows what it takes to win Australian three-year-old fillies features, having won Group 1s with Sixty Seconds, Giovana and Silent Achiever when training in his own right before teaming with Wellwood for the likes of Prowess and Orchestral.
Confesara has not been to the races since a narrow but impressive win in the Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy (1500m) at Ellerslie on March 7.
That followed a third placing in the Group 3 Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m), when beaten 1.6 lengths by subsequent Arrowfield Stud Stakes winner Belle Cheval, which are among six top-three finishes from seven career starts.
She was among 31 Australasian Oaks entries when they closed late last week with classy Victorian Getta Good Feeling, James McDonald’s ride Panova and VRC Oaks winner Strictly Business heading her list of potential rivals.
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