The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Soul Choice had no concerns booking her ticket for the Tasmanian Oaks when taking out the Listed Strutt Stakes at Hobart on Friday evening.
A maiden success in the feature for the Waterhouse and Bott stable, Soul Choice only faced four rivals and led throughout to score comfortably.
Sent out the $1.28 unibet favourite, Soul Choice was always in firm control much to the delight of stable representative Rebecca Shanks.
“Yeah perfect, it looked more like a trackwork gallop out there, she won with her ears pricked and Jordie [Childs] is one of the best when he is out in front, so it was a picture-perfect ride from him,” Shanks said.
Saluting by two-and-a-half lengths, it proved a very valuable victory for the daughter of Redoute’s Choice.
“It was just so important to knock off this black type off for her,” Shanks said.
“She’s an impeccably bred filly and today was so important for her breeder Mr Fipke, it’s onwards and upwards for her.”
Soul Choice will remain in Tasmania in the lead up to the Oaks and is sure to be the horse to beat.
“She’s an Oaks filly through and through and will stay here for the week leading into the Oaks,” Shanks said.
Jockey Jordan Childs will also be back to ride her and while she has been in slowly run races at her last two starts, Childs felt a truer tempo would be no concern for her.
“I think she’ll be better with a stronger tempo, it’s just been small fields, no pressure and when she’s in-front she just brings herself back but when one gets up close to her she wants to go a little bit faster,” Childs said.
“It shouldn’t matter, fast or slow, she is a very competitive filly who can adapt to whatever is thrown at her.”