Australian classic placing for Pygmy

A storming surge around the field carried the Godolphin filly Pygmy into second place in the Queensland Oaks at Doomben in Brisbane on Saturday.

On a weekend when the world’s classic attention is focussed on Epsom Downs, the daughter of Derby winner New Approach, almost pulled off a major coup.

Pygmy settled at the tail of the 16-runner Oaks field, jockey Tommy Berry having little choice but to go back on the filly who started from the outside gate.

The pair remained at the rear until the 500-metre mark where Berry got onto the back of the eventual winner Egg Tart to begin the move that confirmed the opinion already held by trainer Darren Beadman.

“When she drew so wide she was always going to have to give them a start. To get so close against a very good field of fillies was an incredible effort,” Beadman said.

Pygmy had won her two starts prior to the Oaks, both of them on out-of-town tracks, but the filly had nevertheless shown great staying potential which Beadman believes will stand her in good stead when she returns to racing in the spring.

“She’s obviously a filly with great potential, her mother won two Oaks, so she has a good, classic-winning pedigree to back up what she has shown today,” Beadman said.

The Queensland Oaks is a strong guide to future success, having produced the world’s highest-rated filly, Winx whose win the 2015 renewal in 2015 was her second victory in an unbeaten sequence that now stands at 17.

In recent times the race has also produced the high-class filly Ethereal who went on to win the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups he following spring.

Pygmy finished 1-1/4 lengths behind Egg Tart, relegating Oklahoma Girl into third place.