The Remarkable Rise of Amokura

Mark Smith - Saturday June 3

The Kermadec filly Amokura has gone from being beaten out of a place in a Taree maiden to a Channel 7 Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) winner in her first preparation.

Amokura completes a remarkable rise (image Michael McInally/Racing Queensland)

Ridden by Damien Oliver for Kris Lees, Amokura received a cosy run from her inside barrier and was strong to the line in defeating the Rubick filly Reo by one and a half lengths with the Maurice (JPN) filly Noah 'n' A Deel the same distance back in third.

After breaking her maiden over 1850m at Newcastle on April 22, Amokura earned her place in the Oaks with a dominant performance over 1800m at the Sunshine Coast on May 21.

It was the second win in the Classic for Lees after Vitesse Dane in 2005.

“They can come from nowhere. She’s always shown us something,” Lees said.

Advertisement

“It’s her first race preparation, so we were always guarded with how far we could go with her. She put the writing on the wall with her win at Newcastle by a big margin, so we brought her up with the view of trying to sneak her in with a bit of prize money. She did that at the Sunshine Coast and snuck into the race.

“Got Ollie (Damien Oliver) to come up and ride; the rest is history.

“She probably got further back than we were thinking from the nice draw, but she tracked up lovely coming into the corner. It was just a matter of getting some clear air, he still had plenty of horse left. He (Oliver) weaved a passage and got the job done.

“All along she gave us the impression she’d get over ground, just where her ceiling was we weren’t sure, we were running over shorter trips. When she won that race at Newcastle, I said we better start making plans.

“It was her first preparation, so she’s going to get a well-deserved break. We will reassess her from there.”

A homebred for the Fraser family’s  St Aubins Scone Partnership, Amokura is one of four winners from five to race for the unraced Quest For Fame (GB) mare Fain.

Celebrations for Amokura's connections (image Michael McInally/Racing Queensland)

Fain is a half-sister to the talented Group II-placed Paulini (Singspiel), stakes-placed Tide (Galileo), and to the dams of stakes-winners Gundec and Eastern Prince.

Fain has not had a live foal since Amokura. She was one of 13 mares to visit the unheralded Frankel stallion Last Kingdom (USA) last spring.

Amokura is the seventh stakes winner and a remarkable fourth Group 1 winner for Darley Stud’s Tefilo stallion Kermadec.

Advertisment

Race Result - Channel 7 Queensland Oaks Gr1 2200m

Eagle Farm Track: Good(4) Time: 2:17.40
1
Amokura
- 3f Kermadec (NZ) x Fain (AUS) (Quest For Fame (GB))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: D Oliver 56.5
2
1.5
Reo
- 3f Rubick (AUS) x Elliptical Orbit (USA) (Scat Daddy (USA))
Tnr: Richard Laming Rdr: Martin Harley 56.5
3
3.0
Noah 'N' A Deel
- 3f Maurice (JPN) x Double Deel (AUS) (Dundeel (NZ))
Tnr: L D Kelly Rdr: S Cormack 56.5
4
3.7
Renaissance Woman
- 3f Reliable Man (GB) x Mrs Kennedy (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: J Parr 56.5
5
4.7
Affaire A Suivre
- 3f Astern (AUS) x Laurelling (USA) (Highest Honor (FR))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: John Allen 56.5
6
4.8
Yankee Hussel
- 3f American Pharoah (USA) x Petty Cury (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: A Mallyon 56.5
7
6.4
Cheval D'Or
- 3f Almanzor (FR) x Keepa Cheval (NZ) (Keeper (AUS))
Tnr: A W Pike Rdr: M J Mc Nab 56.5
8
6.9
Sakura Girl
- 3f Iffraaj (GB) x Soltina (NZ) (O'Reilly (NZ))
Tnr: B W Foote Rdr: O P Bosson 56.5
9
7.5
Divine Purpose
- 3f Divine Prophet (AUS) x Fadetta (USA) (Rock Hard Ten (USA))
Tnr: Clinton Taylor Rdr: Ben Thompson 56.5
10
7.6
Madame Odette
- 3f Churchill (IRE) x Cloudwatch (AUS) (Snitzel (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Ryan Maloney 56.5
11
7.9
So Dazzling
- 3f So You Think (NZ) x Dazzling Lady (NZ) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: J G Sargent Rdr: Craig Williams 56.5
12
9.6
Proscenium Arch
- 3f So You Think (NZ) x It's Our Showtime (NZ) (Showcasing (GB))
Tnr: T Busuttin & N Young Rdr: Tim Clark 56.5
13
10.8
Caring Lass
- 3f Sebring (AUS) x Artistic Lass (AUS) (Myboycharlie (IRE))
Tnr: Matthew Smith Rdr: Rachel King 56.5
14
11.2
Original Glaze
- 3f Thronum (AUS) x La Musicienne (AUS) (Amadeus Wolf (GB))
Tnr: Trevor Lambourn Rdr: Michael Murphy 56.5
15
11.8
Fireflies
- 3f Not A Single Doubt (AUS) x Whistling Dixie (NZ) (Pins (AUS))
Tnr: B F Cavanough Rdr: Jake Bayliss 56.5
16
15.4
Let Me Reign
- 3f Real Impact (JPN) x Hailin' Diamonds (AUS) (Street Boss (USA))
Tnr: Lee & Cherie Curtis Rdr: James Orman 56.5
17
21.9
Tyresa
- 3f Written Tycoon (AUS) x Stresa (AUS) (Real Saga (AUS))
Tnr: K M Schweida Rdr: L V Cassidy 56.5
More Reading...
Wootton Bassett Set to Blast Out of Winter
Many people may have anticipated Wootton Bassett (GB) would have been our Champion Australian First Season Sire last season and while that didn’t quite eventuate, he did finish the season with a wealth of horses holding spring potential and several were in action at the trials this morning.
Above the Clouds Wins $100,000 Polytrack Championship
It proved to be a long but fruitful day for Kelly Myers on Friday, with the now Central Districts-based hoop riding home Above The Clouds to win the $100,000 TAB Polytrack Championship (2000m) at Cambridge for local trainer Ralph Manning.
Racing’s Night of Champions August 28
45 of the top horses in Australia will be recognised for outstanding performances during the 2024/2025 racing season at Racing’s Night of Champions.
Breeding To Win – Crystal Ball – New Season 3YOs to Follow
Who are we highlighting this week? - Analysis of the G1 winning 3YO’s for last season has made us realise how many horses on this list took giant strides from two to three, so we are looking into the crystal ball to find some juveniles we believe could end this season as G1 performers if not G1 winners.
Melbourne Cup on Radar for Sons and Lovers
Joseph O’Brien knows what it takes to win a Melbourne Cup and that was mentioned as a possible goal for progressive young stayer Sons and Lovers, who won the Group III Ballyroan Stakes (1m4f) at Leopardstown overnight.
One to Watch – Geelong
Team Hawkes were the guiding force behind the racing career of Group I ATC Doncaster Mile winner Brutal and have also prepared his first Group I winner as a sire in Nepotism and they unleashed a debut winner by him at Geelong on Friday.
First Godolphin Winner for Maher
Champion trainer Ciaron Maher saddled his first winner for Godolphin at Kembla on Thursday and he did it with a blue-blood colt by Too Darn Hot (GB).
Zoustar Entering the Zenith
The dictionary tells us Zenith is an astronomical term —describing the highest point in an arc travelled by a star, planet or another celestial body- and in the case of this story it’s planet Zoustar!
Sires With Winners - Thursday August 7
Here is the full list of 36 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Breeders Paradise - Inglis Digital August (early) Online
An abundance of high-quality broodmares – many in foal to some of the hottest young stallions in the Southern Hemisphere – and broodmare prospects headline a “breeders’ paradise’’ in the Inglis Digital August (Early) Online Sale.