Tassie Oaks Winners Chase Adrian Knox Success

A last start winner of the Listed Tasmania Oaks (2100m) at Launceston, the Lindsay Park trained Chequerboard (Fastnet Rock-Chi, by Zabeel) has been kept up to the mark by winning a recent barrier trial at Tatura before heading to Sydney for Saturday's Gr3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m), a key lead up race to the Gr1 Australian Oaks (2400m) the following Saturday. Passed in just shy of her reserve at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale when offered through the draft of Rich Hill Stud, the filly was retained to race in the Navy silks of Coolmore and partners. Already proven at the trip (unlike many in the field) and although she is from a pedigree which contains numerous high-quality sprinters including Not Listenin'tome (Dylan Thomas) and Invader (Snitzel), the filly is bred on a cross that has produced three outstanding Group 1 winners – all fillies, Avantage, Atlantic Jewel and Planet Rock. The hardest to beat looks to be James Cummings-trained Flexible (Hallowed Crown-Dextrous, by Quest For Fame) a last start third over 1800m who should appreciate the step up in trip, and is interestingly by the same sire as her stablemate, and last year's Adrian Knox-Australian Oaks winner Collette (Hallowed Crown).