Trainer Tony McEvoy is forgiving of Silent Sovereign‘s midfield finish in the Wakeful Stakes and is happy to give the filly her chance in the Group One VRC Oaks.
Silent Sovereign finished sixth in Saturday’s Group Two Wakeful (2000m) at Flemington and her opposition in Thursday’s $1 million Oaks (2500m) at the same track includes three fillies who finished ahead of her in that lead-up race.
The Danny O’Brien-trained Wakeful winner Miami Bound was the $3.60 Oaks favourite on Tuesday and can emulate her dam Arapaho Miss who won the Oaks 12 years ago.
Miami Bound and fellow Oaks contender Vegas Jewel cleared out from the rest over the final 300m in the Wakeful, putting six lengths on their nearest rival, with Silent Sovereign beaten just over 7-1/2-lengths.
The John Sargent-trained Foxborough, who is also in the Oaks, was at the tail of the field with Silent Sovereign and edged past her late for fifth.
“I thought her run in the Wakeful was a pass mark,” McEvoy, who trains Silent Sovereign in partnership with his son Calvin, said.
“We went back from a wide draw to get cover, which is key for her, and then they just went too slow.
“We followed the favourite Flit but the backmarkers were just out of the race. I thought her effort to run sixth was a really solid performance.
“She pulled up well enough to go on to the Oaks and she has got a pedigree to run the trip.
“She’s very fit and she’s had the preparation for it. We’ve just got to hope she’s good enough.”
The winner of one of her five starts, Silent Sovereign is by Dalakhani out of Silent Surround who was second in the 2009 Wakeful and sixth in the Oaks.
Silent Sovereign was at $34 for the Oaks on Tuesday.