Trish Dunell
Trainer John Sargent has a happy knack for producing quality three year-old fillies that invariably run well in Oaks races and we may have seen a contender for the Gr.1 VRC Oaks at Warwick Farm on Monday.
By Declaration of War (USA), who sired this year's Gr.1 BRC Queensland Oaks winner Winning Ways, Aspect Ratio showed her class two starts back when second in the Gr.3 ATC Ming Dynasty Quality and broke the ice for her first win in this 1600 metre maiden.
She travelled smoothly back in the field for Andrew Adkins and sustained a long finishing run to surge home out wide and win by half a length over the fast closing Savabeel gelding Relucent, who is trained by Chris Waller and entered for the Victoria Derby.
Both horses will be well worth following as they step up in distance and no doubt head to Melbourne.
A $75,000 Karaka Book Two purchase for Sargent from the Curraghmore draft, the David Butler-bred Aspect Ratio is the second winner from Group Three placed Poste Restante, who won up to 2400 metres and was also fourth in a New Zealand Oaks.
A Group One winning son of War Front, Declaration of War shuttled to Coolmore for two seasons and has left six stakes-winners in Australia and New Zealand, mostly over staying trips and including last Saturday's Flemington stakes-winner Warning, who is aimed towards the Victoria Derby. -breednet.com.au
