Despite being the only maiden in the field, punters threw their support behind Chris Waller’s Group 1 ATC Oaks runner-up Toffee Tongue in Saturday’s Group I Schweppes Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville and came up trumps.
A rail-hugging ride by Damian Thornton paved the way for the sister to the Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther to break her maiden in the best way possible.
Thornton can claim plenty of the credit as he took the shortest run home with an untroubled passage as plenty found trouble in securing a passage out wider.
The daughter of Tavistock was making her ninth start. Besides her second to Godolphin’s top-class Hallowed Crown filly Colette in the ATC Australian Oaks she defeated all bar the same mare in the Group III Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick.
Victoria Oaks third Moonlight Maid (Puissance de Lune) was very brave in finishing three-quarter of a length behind the winner with Affair to Remember (Toronado) a short-neck back in third.
It was the second win in the race for Waller after Egg Tart in 2017.
"We only decided to send her to Adelaide after she ran so well in the Australian Oaks and the Adrian Knox before that," Waller told AAP.
"She was earmarked for Queensland.
"Even though it was her first win, I felt she was always improving.
"Her run in the Adrian Knox Stakes was great and her run in the Australian Oaks was brilliant.
"She perhaps should have finished at least a bit closer.
"It's great to get the Group One with her."
Purchased by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock for $500,000 on behalf of Pinecliff Racing’s Jonathon Munz, from the Highden Park draft at the 2018 NZB Yearling Sale at Karaka, Toffee Tongue is the seventh foal of the winning Zabeel mare Bagalollies who was crowned the 2015-16 NZ Broodmare of the Year.
That lofty honour was earned almost entirely by Werther who was second in both the South Australian and Queensland Derby’s before his heroics in Hong Kong where he added the Group 1HKJC Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Group 1Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup, Group 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup and the Group II BMW Hong Kong Derby.
Bagalollies was purchased by Roger James for $145,000 out of the Cambridge Stud draft at the 2005 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Five years later she was consigned by Trelawney Stud to the 2010 NZB National Broodmare Sale where Trent Bussutin signed the ticket for$30,000.
Besides Werther, Toffee Tongue is a sister to the Group III New Zealand Cup winner Gobstopper and the Group 1 NZ Oaks third Milseain.
A sister to that quartet was withdrawn from Highden Park draft at this year’s Easter Yearling Sale.
After slipping twins in 2019, Bagalollies was covered by Tavistock again last season shortly before the son of Montjeu succumb to injuries suffered in a freak paddock accident.
Toffee Tongue becomes his 20th stakes-winner.
