Ballarat-based trainer Thomas Carberry showcased his training expertise Nov. 6 when he saddled up his filly Strictly Business to produce a stellar showing in the VRC Oaks (G1) at Flemington Racecourse, providing the native Irishman with his maiden group 1 success.
In the space of just 13 days, the 3-year-old daughter of Grunt has broken her maiden, finished second in the Wakeful Stakes (G2), and then taken out Thursday's 2,500-meter (about 1 9/16-mile) fillies' classic.
"It's an incredible journey, racing, and I think everybody's proud of it. You meet people here today and they're legends and to think you can do it, it's great," Carberry said.
Having made her debut with a seventh-place finish in the Vobis Gold Plate at Flemington back in March, Strictly Business was then spelled and returned with a light barrier trial at Donald over 1,050 meters Sept. 18—in which she finished fourth.
Returning to the racetrack proper, the filly scored a half-length maiden success under John Allen at Ballarat over 1,400 meters Oct. 24, before then lining up as a AU$12 chance in the Wakeful and running a 1 1/4-length second behind the easy winner Getta Good Feeling.
Lining up five days later for Thursday's showpiece, Strictly Business was once again tasked with trying to defeat Getta Good Feeling, with that rival sent off the strong AU$1.85 favorite to back up her Wakeful victory on Saturday.
However, Carberry's filly was not for stopping this time as she came wide down the home straight and swept to the front under Allen, leading with just under 200 meters left before powering home for a 3 1/2-length win over the Chris Waller-trained The Pearls.
There was a further half-length back to the Dom Sutton-trained third placegetter After Summer while Getta Good Feeling could only manage a 6 1/4-length sixth.
"It takes a really good horse to do what she did, even in her maiden," Carberry said. "It just put the Wakeful on the radar. It became possible after she ran so well, she needed a trip to show her best.
"I think I'm very, very lucky. John Allen and Declan Bates have been such a great help to me in my business. They always help me and give me good advice. That said, John Allen doesn't give you advice because that's not his thing. His thing is to ride the horse, and he just does that so well.
"She's a filly on the up. We had this race in mind for a long time. She missed a run at Geelong and we were put on the back foot a bit, but we found a race that suited Johnny and us at Ballarat a couple of weeks ago and she came through that so well we decided to take our chance in the Wakeful because she's that type of horse. Today came on the radar because she ran so well there. She looked like she needed the 2,500-meter trip, and that was what happened."
Having landed the VRC Derby (G1) on both Hitotsu (2021) and Extra Brut (2018), winning rider Allen was registering his first success in Thursday's Oaks.
"What a filly to win her maiden only two weeks ago," Allen said. "What a great effort by Tommy (Carberry). He rides his own work. Tommy is a neighbor of mine, he only lives two doors down from me.
"She's got no early speed, so we weren't going to go changing tactics today. We went back to last, hugged the rails for as long as we could. We were following the right horses into the straight and I knew at the 600 (meters) we were going to run the trip, so my confidence grew at that stage.
"It's hard to imagine, she was as raw as you could possibly be. It was obviously a great win at Ballarat, but she was just that raw and inexperienced.
"And then Tommy rang me and said there wasn't much coming up for her, only the Wakeful, and I said why not have a crack and see how he goes.
"She ran so well there, we had to come to the Oaks. So look, what a great filly too, to do what she's done. She's pulled up, not a bother on her, and hopefully she's something to be getting pretty excited about."
Taking her earnings to AU$736,150, Strictly Business became the second individual group 1 winner and fourth individual stakes winner for Yulong Stud stallion Grunt.
She is a half sister to Tasmanian Derby runner-up and VRC St Leger third Kicking King being one of two winners out of the winning Uncle Mo mare Tivoli Lass, herself from the extended family of The Everest (G1) hero Ka Ying Rising's sire Shamexpress and Caulfield Guineas (G1) winner Autumn Boy.
