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Matt Laurie‘s superlative, new season four-year-old mare Treasurethe Moment stamped her credentials as the potential new queen on the block with an explosive performance fresh to put a very deep 2025 Memsie Stakes field away, including runner-up Mr Brightside, with ease.
Punters trackside at Caulfield were witness to something truly special as the brilliant daughter of Alabama Express made a stunning return to string together her incredible ninth win on the trot with a standout performance in the Group 1 $750,000 Memsie Stakes (1400m).
The first filly in two decades to complete the VRC Oaks – Australian Oaks double as a three-year-old, the up-and-comer added a fourth Group 1 to the CV having also taken out the Vinery in the autumn.
Up against the older horses and multiple Group 1 champions at weight-for-age for the first time, she showed great maturity that far exceeded her age to return with a bang.
“One of the best Memsie fields we’ve seen in some time. I wasn’t expecting to be coming here and winning, but she had come up very well and to win in such fashion, is pretty incredible,” Laurie told the media post-win.
Ridden to perfection by Damian Lane, who celebrated his 20th Victorian Group 1 and 2nd in the Memsie after riding Humidor to victory back in 2018, Treasurethe Moment proved her star status when again showing off her scintillating turn of foot.
“She was great,” Lane said.
“She’s come back in really good order. You’re never really sure. Trackwork, jump-outs, they’re a different kind of pressure, but she’s jumping up to the big boys and girls now.
“We were hoping what we were seeing in her trackwork, and trials would translate into today and it did. It was a little unexpected the way the race was run.
“We didn’t have Pinstriped leading them up at a very fast clip. I was in a bit of a sticky spot on the corner, but luckily enough I was able to take it, and she was electrifying.”
There was some tense pre-race drama where Pinstriped proved tough to load leading to the All-Star Mile winner Tom Kitten getting fractious in the gates, rearing and subsequently being a late scratching from the field.
From the inside alley, Treasurethe Moment jumped beautifully before settling around fifth in running just off the speed as last year’s winner Pinstriped went out to lead looking to go back-to-back.
Pinstriped with blinkers on for the first time set a good speed up front with the Lindsay Park veterans Here To Shock and Mr Brightside doing the chasing.
With 450m left to travel, Pinstriped was still in the lead before Lane made his move making up ground on the inside aboard Treasurethe Moment ($6).
She needed a little luck at a key stage but got the split 250m out to burst through and explode at the business end of things in Atlantic Jewel like fashion.
“I was very happy,” Laurie said of how the race panned out.
“There was good pace. She was able to ease across the speed. You just knew coming to the turn, if she got the breaks, that she would burst through.
“I have never seen a horse travel that well around the bend and quicken up like she did, it was fantastic to watch.
“I look forward to hearing what Damian has to say.
“To come back from winning two Oaks and come back against a field like this over seven furlongs, it’s mind blowing.”
Eight-year-old Mr Brightside ($7), winner of the Memsie in 2023 and runner-up last year, added to his wonderful record in the race finishing a brave second having never given up chase.
“Super to see him back,” jockey Craig Williams said of Mr B.
“The Hayes boys were always happy with where he was. I sat on him his last jumpout and we were confident that he would be able to come back as he always has.
“The winner was exceptional today, she drew the right spot, got the right run from Damian Lane and was very dominant, but my horse was great, and we know we’ve got more wriggle room with him which is very exciting going into the spring.”
Treasurethe Moment was proved far too sharp for the old warhorse however putting 2.5 lengths on him by the finishing line.
In third to complete this year’s Memsie Stakes trifecta a further half-length back as a 60/1 outsider in betting was the resuming Chris Waller trained Buckaroo who flashed home from last to finish in the money for the first time since his Caulfield Cup second last October.
“Obviously just drifted back to set up the prep well today. He finished off fantastic and will be very hard to beat in a couple of weeks’ time,” jockey Jye McNeil said of the surprise third placegetter.
Waller also had Fangirl in the first four with the class mare also making up ground from the back in her delayed first-up run of the season, with Antino fifth and Another Wil sixth as the beaten favourite.
“He was a touch disappointing,” Another Wil’s hoop Jamie Melham admitted.
“He might have just really needed it. I knew he would need it, but he was really peaking at the 800. He’s still run alright, but I’m surprised how much he knocked up.”
Treasurethe Moment looks in for a huge spring with the Group 1 $6 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25 looming as an excellent target race.
Laurie is already mapping out a plan and hasn’t ruled out a potential shot at the Group 1 $5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) over the mile and a half on October 18 either.
“The plan has always been to go to the Makybe [Diva Stakes at Flemington on Sept. 13] second-up into the Turnbull [Stakes at Flemington on Oct. 4] and then it’s a matter of deciding which way, the Cox Plate or the Caulfield Cup.
“That’s a discussion to have with the connections, they’ve obviously got a lot of high-class horses and obviously don’t want to meet. On that run, 2000 metres at The Valley, she’s have to be some chance.”
Following her Memsie Stakes domination she has firmed in from $21 to $4 to now sit on the second line of all-in 2025 Cox Plate betting behind last year’s eight-length champion Via Sistina ($2.10) through race sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au.
Memsie Stakes 2025 Results
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1st
11. Treasurethe Moment (1)
J: Damian Lane 56.5kg
T: Matt Laurie |
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2nd
1. Mr Brightside (8)
J: Craig Williams 59kg
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
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3rd
5. Buckaroo (6)
J: Jye McNeil 59kg
T: Chris Waller |
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4th
9. Fangirl (4)
J: Mark Zahra 57kg
T: Chris Waller |
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5th
3. Antino (7)
J: Blake Shinn 59kg
T: Tony Gollan |
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6th
6. Another Wil (3)
J: Jamie Melham 59kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
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7th
4. Here To Shock (5)
J: Daniel Stackhouse 59kg
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
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8th
8. Is It Me (2)
J: Billy Egan 59kg
T: Daniel Bowman |
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9th
7. Pinstriped (9)
J: Michael Dee 59kg
T: Enver Jusufovic |
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