Getta Good Feeling gets her chance at Oaks redemption this weekend when she again starts favourite in the $1 million Sportsbet Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Adelaide’s Morphettville circuit.
A dominant odds-on jolly in last year’s VRC Oaks (2500m) at Flemington, the daughter of So You Think did not run out the trip and weakened to be a six-and-a-quarter-length sixth behind Strictly Business, who re-opposes this weekend.
But after two slashing wins this preparation, Getta Good Feeling is the $2.90 fancy and Strictly Business is out the gate at $26 after two disappointments.
Trainer Danny O’Brien Confident
“We decided this would be her autumn target at the end of the spring,” trainer Danny O’Brien said. “We thought in the VRC Oaks that she didn’t quite run the full 2500m. With this Group 1 Oaks being 2000m, it was really attractive to us. It also gave us a little bit more time; we didn’t have to rush like we would’ve if we had to try and get her up to Sydney (for their Oaks). It’s an ideal set up for her, both her starts coming into it have been excellent… she couldn’t be in better shape for the 2000m.”
Despite Getta Good Feeling being sent off a $21 longshot in her 1200m reappearance at Flemington in February, O’Brien was confident, and she followed that with a 1600m Alexandra Stakes victory at Caulfield.
“The market underestimated her (first-up), but it wasn’t hard to see in her previous starts,” he said. “She won the Edward Manifold in the spring at a mile; she showed a really good turn of foot that day. She’s always had that ability to sprint and quicken, and she showed it first-up. She came off their backs the other day at the mile (Alexandra Stakes), she’s got good change-up speed – she’s a high-class filly.”
O’Brien’s Adelaide Success
O’Brien has won every other Adelaide Group 1 - The Goodwood (Glamour Puss, 2005), Robert Sangster (Juste Momente, 2008) and SA Derby (Russian Camelot, 2020) – and even the Adelaide Cup with Demerger (2005) when it held Group 1 status.
“I haven’t won the Oaks – it would be great – I’d be very pleased to do it,” O’Brien said. “Adelaide’s been a great spot for us over the years. We love going over there. It’s a brilliant track, Morphettville. It’s at the perfect time of the year for horses to run well and come back to Melbourne and get ready for the spring. We’ve certainly targeted this as a real chance to get that Group 1 on the board, and we’ve got no excuses heading there tomorrow.”
Other Races: London’s Image Heads Sheila Gwynne Classic
+ London’s Image ($2.80f) heads betting for the Listed $125,000 Sheila Gwynne Classic (1400m) at Ascot after landing both the Pinjarra Classic and Marjorie Charleson Stakes in the last two months. Those wins were bisected by a Bunbury Stakes third to Bonjoy ($3.50), who looms as the chief challenger in Saturday’s contest. Bonjoy landed that Bunbury feature and the Grandstand Cup at Ascot before finally yielding her winning run when third in the Old Comrade Stakes three weeks ago, again at metropolitan headquarters. Consistent galloper Fast Flicker ($6.50) and Toropa ($9) conclude those under double figures.
