Queen Reigns at Eagle Farm

The Mike and Paul Moroney trained Karaka graduate, Eskimo Queen (Shinko King x Cold Type), continued her impressive form line with a decisive win in the Group 1 Conrad Treasury Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Eskimo Queen's eye-catching run for third in the Group 3 Doomben Roses two weeks earlier heralded the filly's arrival in Queensland and she duly delivered on Saturday, winning by three-and-a-half lengths ahead of Doug's Mate with Rose of Sharon a short head back in third.

New Zealand expatriate jockey Greg Childs was understandably ecstatic with the run immediately after the race saying, that although the "plan was to ride mid-field" she "just kept going forward" before settling handily just off the pace.

Paul Moroney said he is "99% sure" the filly will run in the Queensland Derby on Saturday.

A maiden runner until March this year, Eskimo Queen's three wins and three placings from six starts have now amassed over AU$330,000 in prize money for her owners GKV Holdings and Kenamon Trust.

Eskimo Queen was bred by Millfield Stud's Peter Setchell, and was purchased at the 2005 Ready to Run Sale for NZ$25,000 by Paul Moroney from the draft of Wayne Larsen's Te Runga Stud. Belane Stables had bought her as a weanling from Java Lodge before selling her to Brent Hrstich at the Karaka Festival Sale for NZ$10,000.

Eskimo Queen joins New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series and Group 1 New Zealand Oaks winner Bramble Rose (ex Images) as her sire's second Group 1 winner. He is also the sire of five other stakeswinners including the handy galloper Viz Vitae (ex Mi Tristena), a winner of nine races, including the Listed Marton Cup and was second in the Group 1 Wellington Cup.

The win also caused a comparison to be drawn with another filly previously trained by Mike Moroney, the Group 1 winner, Happyanunoit (Yachtie x Easter Queen), who was a Group One-winning juvenile in New Zealand before a distinguished race career in the United States.

Meanwhile, John Wheeler fittingly took out the Group 2 A$251,500 PJ O'Shea Stakes (2200m) with highly promising stayer, Pentathon (Pentire x Star Royal), a long-head in front of the New Zealand-trained visitor Gaze, with Grand Zulu half-a-length away in third. 

Pentathon now heads to the Group 1 Brisbane Cup (2400m) where he will be ridden by Mark du Plessis. Wheeler had previously won the PJ O'Shea Stakes with 11 time Group 1 winner, Rough Habit (Roughcast x Certain Habit).

Bred by Wellington's Tom Jamison, Wheeler purchased the Pentathon from Esker Lodge's 2003 Select Sale draft for NZ$33,000. He has now won over AU$500,000 in prize money from his nine wins and ten placings for his owners R S Baulcomb & M K Ralston.