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Maher filly knocks their Socks off in Oaks

Socks Nation has delivered a blow-out result in the Queensland Oaks.

SOCKS NATION winning the Seven Queensland Oaks
SOCKS NATION winning the Seven Queensland Oaks Picture: Michael McInally/Racing Queensland

Ciaron Maher and Ryan Maloney have combined to orchestrate a major upset in the Queensland Oaks, winning it with one of the rank outsiders of the Group One field.

Starting at $101, Socks Nation stalked the speed before hitting the front at the top of the straight then raising another effort to beat off the bid of eventual runner-up Our Gold Hope.

In an incredible training performance, the filly has been in work since making her debut in August last year, Maher crediting the odd trip to the beach and interstate excursion for keeping her happy.

"The team has done a super job. She has been in work for thirteen months this filly and she just keeps running really well," Maher said.

"She has been to a lot of locations. She gets to the beach and sometimes a change is as good as a holiday.

"She is a tough filly, she is Kiwi-bred and they do it time and time again here."

While Maher has his main training base in Victoria and Maloney is domiciled in Queensland, the pair go back a long way.

That relationship made Socks Nation's Queensland Oaks (2200m) victory all the sweeter for Maloney, who brought up his fourth major on the filly.

"It's great to win my fourth Group One, especially for him (Maher)," Maloney said.

"He used to put me on when I had just come out of my time and he had twenty horses at Warrnambool so it's very fitting."

Despite Socks Nation being unwanted in betting, Maloney said he went into the race positive, having learned to never underestimate a Maher-trained horse.

Knowing the three-year-old was hard-fit and would stay, he used those attributes to advantage when he got her moving into the race on the home turn.

"She was 100-1 but you just can't rule any of Ciaron's horses out," Maloney said.

"Whether it be a 1200-metre sprint race, two-year-olds, jumpers, stayers, he can do it all.

"When I pushed the button, I had in the back of my head that she was fit and I obviously had got a bit of a margin on them and I didn't want to be letting them come to me because I thought if they did, they'd outsprint me, so I got going that little bit early.

"Once Craig (Williams on Our Gold Hope) came to me, I thought I was all out, but she is very tenacious and she just lifted and was too good."

In a result for the bookmakers, Socks Nation ($101) scored by a long neck over Our Gold Hope ($16), who would have been a first Group 1 winner for her trainers Robert and Luke Price.

Miss Jolene ($19) was third another two lengths away with Mare Of Mt Buller ($5) doing best of the fancied runners to finish fifth.

Scarlet Oak started a $4.80 favourite but didn't raise the hopes of her supporters and was eased down late by jockey James Mcdonald, who felt she had come to the end of her campaign.

"She's done a marvellous job and is a very good filly, but it was probably just a bridge too far today," McDonald said.

Socks Nation was the biggest-priced Queensland Oaks winner since Miss Keepsake ($31) in 2010.


Racing and Sports

Eagle Farm

Saturday, 08th June 2024

8
ET

SEVEN QUEENSLAND OAKS (G1)

Age: 3yo Sex: F Type: OPEN
1 ⅜ m TURF GOOD
8

(local)
AUD $700,000
1 ⅜ m GOOD

SEVEN QUEENSLAND OAKS (G1)

Age: 3yo Sex: F Type: OPEN


FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 7. SOCKS NATION (AUS) 3yo F
SIOUX NATION (USA) - TAHNEE TIARA (AUS)
RYAN MALONEY
CIARON MAHER
$101
56.5kg
Iskander Racing & Breeding (Mgr: S R Iskander) & S P Hedge

Sales Information

2nd 12. OUR GOLD HOPE (AUS) 3yo F
LOPE DE VEGA (IRE) - GREY QUEEN (USA)
CRAIG WILLIAMS
R & L PRICE
$16
56.5kg
B A Noble, K A Noble & Mrs M Noble

Sales Information

3rd 8. MISS JOELENE (AUS) 3yo F
RUSSIAN REVOLUTION (AUS) - CELLARGIRL (AUS)
JAMES ORMAN
KELLY SCHWEIDA
$19
56.5kg
Wilrace Women (Mgr: Mrs J Whalley), Mrs J L Wilson, Mrs A R Dougall, Mrs M J Cooper, Miss T L Whalley & Miss H L Whalley

Sales Information

4th 14. KIND WORDS (AUS) 3yo F
WRITTEN TYCOON (AUS) - GRACIOUS GREY (AUS)
MARK ZAHRA
KRIS LEES
$10
56.5kg

Sales Information

5th 11. MARE OF MT BULLER (AUS) 3yo F
DUNDEEL (NZ) - ALIBERANI (AUS)
TOMMY BERRY
CHRIS WALLER
$5
56.5kg

Sales Information

6th 6. MOLLYNICKERS (AUS) 3yo F
PIERRO (AUS) - JUST ONE MOMENT (AUS)
MS CARLEEN HEFEL
PETER G MOODY & KATHERINE COLEMAN
$41
56.5kg

Sales Information

7th 10. GOOD BANTER (NZ) 3yo F
TAVISTOCK (NZ) - DANZA KUDURO (NZ)
JAMIE KAH
JOHN O'SHEA
$16
56.5kg

Sales Information

8th 1. MOLLY BLOOM (NZ) 3yo F
ACE HIGH (AUS) - DANCILLA (NZ)
BLAKE SHINN
LANCE O'SULLIVAN & ANDREW SCOTT
$6.5
56.5kg

Sales Information

9th 9. AHURIRI (NZ) 3yo F
ALMANZOR (FR) - MACKENZIE KATE (NZ)
JOHN ALLEN
CHRIS WALLER
$10
56.5kg

Sales Information

10th 3. AMAZONIAN LASS (AUS) 3yo F
MORE THAN READY (USA) - DYNASTIC LADY (AUS)
ADAM HYERONIMUS
G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT
$26
56.5kg

Sales Information

11th 18. FIRESTORM (NZ) 3yo F
SATONO ALADDIN (JPN) - DANCING EMBERS (NZ)
NASH RAWILLER
CHRIS WALLER
$20
56.5kg
12th 13. OCEANS OF ENERGY (AUS) 3yo F
DUNDEEL (NZ) - OCEAN GATE (AUS)
DAMIEN THORNTON
MATTHEW DUNN
$201
56.5kg

Sales Information

13th 17. CONCELLO (AUS) 3yo F
TRAPEZE ARTIST (AUS) - SENTA HELGA (AUS)
VLAD DURIC
CHRIS WALLER
$31
56.5kg

Sales Information

14th 15. GENTILESCHI (AUS) 3yo F
DUNDEEL (NZ) - ARTEFIORI (AUS)
ZAC LLOYD
PAUL MESSARA & LEAH GAVRANICH
$51
56.5kg
15th 5. MOONLIGHT MAGIC (NZ) 3yo F
ALMANZOR (FR) - JAPONICA (AUS)
MICHAEL DEE
ANDREW FORSMAN
$16
56.5kg

Sales Information

16th 16. UNIQUE AMBITION (NZ) 3yo F
TAVISTOCK (NZ) - KEY TO SUCCESS (NZ)
MICHAEL RODD
J G SARGENT
$71
56.5kg

Sales Information

17th 19. CALLISTEMON (AUS) 3yo F
TERRITORIES (IRE) - HARIATA (AUS)
RON STEWART
KERRY PARKER
$201
56.5kg
18th 4. SCARLET OAK (AUS) 3yo F
KERMADEC (NZ) - TACTLESS (AUS)
JAMES MCDONALD
CHRIS WALLER
$4.8
56.5kg

Sales Information