Horse Racing

A daughter of triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva, La Dolce Diva, was this afternoon one of 69 three-year-old fillies nominated for the 2011 Crown Oaks.

Celebrity Girl is one of four 2011 Crown Oaks nominations for trainer Mark Kavanagh

Nominations for a number of the headline Melbourne Cup Carnival Group 1 features were released by Racing Victoria today including those for the $1 million Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m), the three-year-old fillies’ classic down on entries from last spring.

There are 69 nominees for the Crown Oaks 2011, due to run at Flemington on Thursday November 3 this year, which is down 20 from 12 months ago.

Headlining the list of hopefuls out to claim the VRC Oaks crown this year are a number of fillies that are engaged to first tackle the 2011 Thousand Guineas.

The $500,000 Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 12 is one of the key lead-up races for Crown Oaks-bound fillies.

Thousand Guineas betting at Luxbet is currently lead by Mark Kavanagh’s Fastnet Rock filly Atlantic Jewel who took her record to two wins from as many starts with a runaway win at Moonee Valley on September 10.

Atlantic Jewel is one of four 2011 Crown Oaks nominees for Kavanagh.

Also among Kavanagh’s Crown Oaks contingent is $1.2 million yearling La Dolce Diva, the daughter of triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva having had just one run when finishing a disappointing seventh on debut at Geelong on June 9.

Improving Encosta De Lago filly Quench The Thirst and another Thousand Guineas fancy Celebrity Girl, who suffered her first career defeat at Caulfield last Saturday, round out Kavanagh’s Crown Oaks hopes.

Previously having won her opening two career starts, including the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes (1100m) at Flemington by an easy two and a half lengths, Starcraft three-year-old Celebrity Girl officially finished third in a controversial Group 3 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) result at Caulfield last Saturday after being demoted from equal first due to a protest against her jockey Michael Rodd.

Thousand Guineas Prelude winner Bliss Street, runner-up Hallowell Bell and third placegetter Mosheen are all also nominated for the Crown Oaks 2011.

Other notable Crown Oaks 2011 Nominations include:

• Pane In The Glass (John P Thompson): Multiple Group 1 placegetter last season has had three runs as a three-year-old including her second behind Streama in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill last Saturday

• Kneeling (John P Thompson): Another Patinack Farm-owned filly tipped for big things this spring, won the Listed Crockett Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on August 20 and is engaged to race second-up at Caulfield this weekend

Last year’s Crown Oaks winner Brazilian Pulse was prepared by Flemington-based trainer Michael Moroney, the Kiwi-born horseman nominating just one from his stables as he looks to go back-to-back this year.

Moroney’s sole Crown Oaks 2011 entry When My Baby is by Captain Rio, the same sire of Brazilian Pulse, and made their race debut on September 3 running third in a 1200 metre sprint at Geelong.

The other major three-year-old feature of the Melbourne Cup Carnival for which nominations were taken for today is the $1.5 million Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m), 83 horses entered.

Crown Oaks first declarations will narrow down the list of hopeful fillies on Tuesday October 18.

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2011 VRC Crown Oaks Nominations