The Oaks meeting was a day of firsts: the first Group 1 for Victorian jockey Damien Thornton and the first Group 1 for Adelaide trainer Will Clarken.
Thornton teamed up with the powerful Chris Waller stable to pilot Toffee Tongue to victory in the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks. Interestingly, the well-backed Toffee Tongue was a maiden coming into the 2000m race, but had strong NSW form, including a second behind potential superstar Colette in the 2400m AJC Oaks at her previous start.
It was an excellent, rails-hugging ride from Thornton, who spent the previous two weeks in self isolation in order to ride at the 2020 Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival. Ballarat trainer Mitch Freedman’s Moonlight Maid ran a mighty race to finish second, while early favourite Affair to Remember finished third.
While Toffee Tongue’s win was outstanding, Clarken, jockey Todd Pannell and Bella Vella combined to steal the show in the Group 1 TAB Classic (Sangster Stakes) over 1200m.
In a ride reminiscent of his stear aboard Despatch in last year’s Goodwood, Pannell had Bella Vella travelling comfortably in the lead, and the five-year-old mare was able to resist the late charge of Lyre to claim victory.
As has been widely reported, Bella Vella was bought in an online auction for just $20,000 after she was unable to get in foal. She has now won six of her 11 starts for Clarken, who said the win was extra special due to the ownership team behind her, including some of his close friends.
The win was the second Group 1 success for Pannell, who is the leading SA jockey this season.
Behind Bella Vella were two-year-old filly Away Game, who ran well to finish fifth, and champion mare Sunlight, who dropped out uncharacteristically to finish last.
The remainder of the meeting was also packed with highlights, most notably nine-year-old wet-track marvel Jungle Edge leading all the way to take the Group 3 DC McKay Stakes (1100m) at the end of the day.
Earlier, the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Xilong showed great speed to lead and cling on in the Group 2 Euclase Stakes (1100m), beating fast-finishing favourite Garner.
It was the second leg of a black-type double for the stable, after grey Shrouded in Mist also led all the way to claim the Group 2 Queen of the South Stakes (1600m).
Oceanex proved the far superior stayer in the Listed Port Adelaide Cup (2500m), while fellow Victorian visitor Forever Free kept her unbeaten record intact by posting a convincing win in the Listed Queen Adelaide Stakes (1050m) for two-year-olds.
Pannell and Barend Vorster shared riding honours with two wins each, however Thornton went close to claiming the Group 1 double, with Lyre and Toffee Tongue.
Attention this week turns to the second of Adelaide’s three successive Group 1 days: Derby Day.
