An incredible result for the South Australian’s Shane and Cassie Oxlade as the honest Queman scored a heartstopping win in Saturday’s $750,000 Group 1 Sportsbet Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield.
Ridden by Harry Coffey, the 6yo gelded son of Mint Lane (USA), staged a two-horse war with the Pride Of Dubai mare Hypothetical with the judge finding a margin of a short-half-head.
The 5-year-old Shalaa (IRE) gelding Mornington Glory was a length and a half back in third.
Queman was the second elect for the Oxlade’s after the Longro gelding Sghirripa who had no luck.
Queman began his career for part-owner Francis Smith who was more thn happy to hand the reins for the Oxlades after a history of infractions.
“He’s a bit of a rude bugger to be honest, he used to knock Boof (Smith)) around,” Shane Oxlade recalled.
“He was due to go to hospital to have an eye operation and he said will you take him, and I said no worries I’ll look after him. It’s been a great ride and a great story. Someone like Boof breeds a Mint Lane, to win a group one Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield, it’s unbelievable really.”
Whether it’s Cassie or my other daughter Tamara, my wife, the whole family, we’re just battlers, we love racing, 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.
“He is a tough bugger, I didn’t think that horse would kick back on him and once he was in front, he’s a tough horse, he fights it out, a bit like his owner really, he used to like a scrap in the day.”
“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.”
Queman had opened his stakes account at his previous start in the Listed W.J. Adams Stakes at Caulfield. He advances his record to nine wins, five seconds, and two thirds from 21 starts with earnings of $906,065.
The Smith family homebred is the first foal of the Clangalang mare Langreen, whose only win in seven starts came in an 1100m Strathalbyn maiden.
She was not covered in three seasons after producing Queman. She has a yearling filly by Denman and was covered by Peltzer last spring.
Queman is the second stakes-winner and first Group 1 winner for Mint Lane.
The winner of the Grade II Dwyer Stakes at Belmont at three, Mint Lane (Maria’s Mon) had ten small crops, the last in 2019 when he left three foals.
