Lasqueti Spirit has produced an incredible start-to-finish performance to win the 2016 Crown Oaks (2500m), as a $126 chance at Flemington Racecourse this afternoon.

Lasqueti Spirit appeared to be in the Crown Oaks field to make up the numbers, but the filly did her chances of success no harm whatsoever when jumping well and immediately taking up the pace; leading My Girl Chilly and Eleonora onto the back straight.

Ensuring that the race would be run at a genuine tempo throughout, the Beneteau filly strung the Crown Oaks field out along the fence as runners like Yankee Rose were caught well off the pace at the tail of the group.

Six lengths in the clear turning onto the final straight, Lasqueti Spirit maintained her big lead to record an amazing maiden win; Harlow Gold savaging the line for second ahead of Eleonora.

Jockey Brenton Avdulla’s ride was undoubtedly the difference in success this afternoon and the hoop was thrilled that the plan he devised with trainer Lee Curtis paid dividends.

“This is special,” Avdulla said.

“We got the call-up and I had a look at her run the other day, and I thought she ran super. Even though it was a maiden, she looked like she was just one pace all day.

“I was surpsied how well I got there. I thought that if I could just got on with it and get it flowing, that would be my best chance and she got into a lovely rhythm.

“I had a sneak peek at one of the TVs there and she was still four in front, and I thought ‘well she’s going to stop, and then I heard Greg Miles yell out ‘Lasqueti Spirit is still five lengths in front!’.

“To ride a Group 1 for Lee is special.”

Curtis was on hand for Lasqueti Spirit’s win in the Crown Oaks and was understandably thrilled with the performance and result.

“We had a lot of confidence in her,” Curtis said.

“She lacks a turn of foot but she has class in every other aspect at home.

“I’ve been down here with her for four days, and she just handles like a real professional.

“This is the race we wanted, this is the race we set her for. We built her up in distance. She had to run over 2400m and it case-hardened her and she’s right for today.

“We had nothing to lose. She was a 150 or 201 shot. We could afford to take a bit of a gamble and ride her a big silly and if it came off, we look like geniuses.

“When we found out she couldn’t sprint we said, well she better be able to stay!”

Lasquesti Spirit has posted four minor placings for $30,620 in prize money prior to her 2016 Crown Oaks triumph.

2016 Crown Oaks Results

Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Starting Price
1	11	LASQUETI SPIRIT	Lee Curtis	Brenton Avdulla	–	9	55.5kg	$126
2	7	HARLOW GOLD (NZ)	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Regan Bayliss (a)	3.75L	2	55.5kg	$7
3	5	ELEONORA (NZ)	Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman	Damien Oliver	5.25L	10	55.5kg	$9
4	9	PEEKING DUCK	Trent Pennuto	Craig Newitt	8.25L	11	55.5kg	$61
5	2	MISSROCK	Robbie Laing	Hugh Bowman	10L	3	55.5kg	$11
6	6	SMART AS YOU THINK	John McArdle	Jamie Mott	10.75L	15	55.5kg	$19
7	8	BELLA SORELLASTRA	Peter Morgan & Craig Widdison	Stephen Baster	11.15L	1	55.5kg	$21
8	12	NINA PEAK	Robbie Laing	Michael Dee (a)	11.45L	6	55.5kg	$201
9	4	MOQUEEN	Anthony Cummings	Jason Collett	12.2L	5	55.5kg	$41
10	13	MY GIRL CHILLY	Jarrod McLean	Dean Yendall	12.95L	8	55.5kg	$101
11	15	PENTHOUSE KITTEN (NZ)	Francis Finnegan	Michael Walker	13.15L	12	55.5kg	$151
12	3	SEBRING DREAM	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	James McDonald	16.4L	14	55.5kg	$11
13	14	RED VELVET SWING	Danny O’Brien	Ms Katelyn Mallyon	17.15L	4	55.5kg	$201
14	1	YANKEE ROSE	David Vandyke	Blake Shinn	20.4L	13	55.5kg	$1.95F
15	10	LAMMA HILTON	Anthony Cummings	Glyn Schofield	23.4L	7	55.5kg	$61