Greg Sugars and Niki No No in Saturday night's Nevele R Stud Victoria Oaks.
Niki No No’s Nevele R Stud Victoria Oaks win has again moved the Kari Males-trained filly to the top of her age group charts.
The three-year-old by Sportswriter out of Benelise thundered home along the sprint lane to claim the lion’s share of the $150,505 and the Oaks trophy in the 2240-metre race at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night.
Driven by reinsman Greg Sugars, Niki No ($4.40) began fast from barrier two and crossed polemarker Keayang Ebonyrose (Jason Lee, $75.30) but was herself crossed by early race favourite Makes Every Scents (Luke McCarthy, $6), who fired out from gate six.
The $2.60 favourite Delightful Lana moved up to the breeze for Dexter Dunn from gate four before Amanda Turnbull made a move aboard Glenferrie Bronte ($7), working to the chair and giving Delightful Lana cover.
After posting a lead time of 46 seconds, Makes Every Scents paced through her first and second quarters in 31.7 and 30.5secs before the mustard was added 800m out, when Glenferrie Bronte eyeballed the leader and heat winner Sudden Change (Gavin Lang, $16.40) was making her run out three-wide from the back of the field, trailed up by Morton Plains (Chris Alford, $19.70).
The third quarter was covered in 27.5secs, Niki No No enjoying a cold sit on the two pacemakers as the field swung the final bend.
Makes Every Scents carried Niki No No right to the sprint lane and once the Kari Males trained Vicbred 2YO Final winner of last season got the run it was basically game over.
The last quarter was clocked at 28.9secs, Niki No No coming away to win by 2.8 metres in a mile rate of 1:58.3, Makes Every Scents holding on for second and Glenferrie Bronte battling on gamely for third beaten 3.2m.
Morton Plains worked home gamely down the outside to be beaten 4.6m, with Miss Riviera Belle (Lauren Panella, $13.60) also hitting the line hard for fifth beaten 5.3m.
As mentioned Niki No No won the Vicbred Final as a two-year-old, and although she finished fourth in the Breeders Crown Final, it is worth noting she was the first Australian filly home on that occasion behind Kiwis Katy Perry, Joannes A Delight and Cyclone Kate.
Emma Stewart-trained filly Delight Me was unfortunately ruled out of Oaks calculations before the heats, so we’ll never know, but Niki No No’s record in big races is virtually flawless and as such a strong case can quite rightly be argued for why she is the best filly of her age group in Victoria.
>> Re-live Niki No No's Oaks triumph
