Queman (+1600) produced a late burst to secure victory in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday afternoon, giving Shane & Cassie Oxlade their first Group 1 success as a training partnership.
The Adelaide based galloper has continued to improve throughout the preparation, with this being his fourth win at start five of the campaign, slowly creeping through the grades to culminate in a tough Group 1 victory.
The five-year-old son of Mint Lane had to fight off the canvas to secure the win, as Hypothetical (+1100) attempted to make every post a winner from the outset under Michael Dee, just being claimed in the shadows of the post.
The race favourites were nowhere to be seen with 300m to travel, with the quinella pair clearing out on their respective rivals, while the likes of King's Gambit (+290), Benedetta (+600) and Sghirripa (+600) never really looked like figuring in the finish.
While Queman and Hypothetical sat down to fight it out, late runs did come, but it was all in vein as Mornington Glory (+4000) filled out the trifecta to give even more value to exotic players.
It was an emotional win for the stable and as connections watched on in joy, Shane Oxlade spoke to the family achievement that unfolded before his eyes.
“Whether it's Cassie or my other daughter Tamara, my wife, the whole family, we're just battlers, we love racing,” said Oxlade.
“It's been in our family all my life, it's all I've done… I've had some nice horses but to get one come here on Oakleigh Plate day and pull it off, it's pretty special.
“You get out of bed every day to train a good horse and to win a group race or a group one is just the pinnacle of anything in our sport isn't it?
“I don't know if it'll change much in terms of more horses or less horses, to be honest it doesn't worry me, I'm happy doing what I'm doing, we have twelve, fourteen, sometimes sixteen in work. It's a really small team at home.
“it's just good for everyone, it's a big kick.”
Harry Coffey was happy to stick aboard the gelding after his last start victory and praised the camp for keeping him on to get a crack at Group 1 glory.
“Racing family that probably haven't had the fastest of horses,” said Coffey.
“Albeit before today, massive effort from the Oxlade's to have two genuine chances in this race and fortunately enough I was to be on one of them, obviously I won on him last start and I was quite taken with the win and I said to Shane when giving the colours back ‘why did you choose me' and he goes ‘because I knew you'd try for me' so I thought I'd better butter up and try again today.
“I actually rode for Shane as a kid, funnily enough he bought an old broken down horse truck off my Dad when I was in my teens so whether it's broken down every day since, I'm sure we've made up for it today.”