It was perhaps unfortunate for connections the $200,000 Group II Moonee Valley Vase was programmed as the last race of the day because the huge crowd was still buzzing about the performance of Winx when Aloisia turned in the most dominant performance of the day.
The only filly to take on the boys, the daughter of Azamour(IRE) tracked last start Group III Ladbroke Classic winner Cliff's Edge (Canford Cliffs) in to the straight before disposing of him with the minimum of effort to win by three and a half lengths with Salsamor (Tavistock) five and a half lengths back in third. (photo Grant Courtney)
Carrying the colours of OTI Racing, the former New Zealand-trained mare advances her record to three wins and two seconds with earnings of $612,865.
A last start winner of the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m), Aloisia is now the odds-on favourite to win the VRC Oaks on Thursday week.
"Can't wait to get to Flemington now," winning rider Luke Nolen said.
She's not overly big, she's got a deep girth and a long stride and a bit of mongrel in her, which takes her a long way."
Aaron Purcell, who took over the training of Aloisia from the suspended Ciaron Maher before the Thousand Guineas, said the best will be seen as the distances increase.
She's a horse that was always going to be better once she hit 2000 metres or more. This is her first time at 2000 metres and she showed what a class filly she is.
"The Oaks was always her goal and everything she has done this time in shows she is right on track."
Passed in when failing to make her $60,000 reserve when consigned by Brighthill Farm to the 2016 NZB Select Yearling Sale, Aloisia made two starts in New Zealand where she caught the eye of bloodstock agent Phil Cataldo who brokered a deal with OTI Racing.
She is out of stakes-placed Perfectly Ready mare Queen Boudicca, who has a 2yo filly by Keeper named Wyetta and a yearling colt by Swiss Ace.
Queen Boudicca was covered by Dalghar (FR) last spring.
Aloisia comes from the first and final New Zealand conceived crop left by the Aga Khan's Night Shift stallion Azamour who won the St James's Palace Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes as a three-year-old, before taking the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes as a four-year-old.
Retired to Gilltown Stud in 2006, Azamour shuttled for the first time to Brighthill Stud in New Zealand for the Southern Hemisphere season in 2013.
Tragically he died the following year at Gilltown Stud.
Azamour has two Oaks winners to his credit already.
Covert Love won the 2015 Irish Oaks and Valyra won the 2012 French Oaks.
