Dizelle's Big Finish Takes Australian Oaks

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Dizelle was the toast of Randwick and of the night session of the Australian Easter sale at nearby Newmarket after her incredible finish to win the 93rd Australian Oaks (Aust-I) March 30.

New Zealand Oaks (NZ-I) winner Justa Tad, renamed She's Just a Tad by Australian officials, appeared certain to repay them in kind by delivering a Kiwi victory. Close to the post the Istidaad daughter appeared a certain winner -- until Dizelle's paralyzing burst cut her down almost at the wire.

Such was the velocity of the winner's closing speed the margin was a surprising half-length. The 7-2 second elect and Corey Brown had only four of the 15 runners behind her into the final 300 meters and appeared a forlorn chance.

Dizelle's time for the 2,400 meters was 2:34.25, the slowest in a decade. The wet track delivered not only slow times, but discriminated against back markers, all of which adds to the luster of this remarkable win.

Zabeel sired last spring's W S Cox Plate (Aust-I) winning 3-year-old Savabeel. His first Randwick Oaks success is from Danelagh, one of Danehill's 36 individual Australian group I winners. From Cambridge Stud, where his sire Sir Tristram ruled for many years, Zabeel is undoubtedly Danehill's main southern rival.

Dizelle is Danehill's second Australian Oaks success as a damsire, the first Sunday Silence's Sunday Joy two years ago. He also sired the dam of Gilded Time colt Barely a Moment, winner of the 2004 VRC Sires' Produce Stakes. Danehill sired 1997 Oaks winner Danendri.

Danelagh won the 1998 Blue Diamond (Aust-I) and was bred by a group headed by Keith Biggs. She and Dizelle race for the blue and pink colors Doriemus represented when he won a Melbourne Cup (Aust-I), and came within a lip of adding another.

They withdrew Dizelle from the 2003 Australian Easter sale. She is Danelagh's second foal. The first, also by Zabeel, has won $1 million (Aust. funds) in Hong Kong as Vengeance Of Rain after bringing $300,000 as a yearling.

Corey Brown is the first rider in 15 years to collect the Australian Derby/Oaks double. He successfully partnered Eremein March 26. It was also the first Australian Oaks for trainer John Hawkes. The $431,460 Oaks purse for her fourth win in seven career starts advanced her earnings to $648,040.

She's Just a Tad (6-1) held second by three-quarters of a length from another New Zealand filly Gee That's Tops (40-1), by Danehill son Danasinga.

Hollow Bullet was a 5-2 favorite to become the third Victoria Oaks (Aust-I) winner to add the Australian Oaks in the past 20 years. The daughter of Tayasu Tsuyoshi battled away to finish fourth.

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