QUALIFIERS GO OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO PMC FINAL

PROVINCIAL-MIDWAY Championship qualifiers Oui Oui Oui and Oakfield Jupiter will take different paths to the $1m Final next month.

Both mares qualified for the 1400m Final at Royal Randwick on April 11 by finishing second respectively in the opening two heats.

Early PMC favorite Oui Oui Oui (now on the third line of betting at $8) was beaten by Octa De Lago at her home track in the opening 1400m heat at Hawkesbury on February 19, and Oakfield Jupiter was a gallant second to Buffalo in the second 1400m heat at Newcastle yesterday week.

However their trainers Jason Attard (Oui Oui Oui) and Damien Lane (Oakfield Jupiter) are eyeing different lead-up programs with their mares.

Oui Oui Oui will have another run leading into the Final, whereas Oakfield Jupiter won’t race again before the April 11 feature on Day 2 of The Championships.

“Oui Oui Oui definitely needs another race, and will get the chance to gain some black type in the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday week,” Attard said today.

“That is against her own sex, and it will top her off for the Provincial-Midway Final.

“Oui Oui Oui has done well since the Hawkesbury race, and I’m really pleased with her.

“But it’s a long way to the Final after qualifying in the first heat, and I didn’t want to go just over seven weeks without another start.”

Oui Oui Oui’s regular jockey Tom Sherry will ride her in the Birthday Card and PMC Final.

Instead of running Oakfield Jupiter again, Damien Lane will trial the mare.

“The plan was always to try to qualify Oakfield Jupiter at Newcastle last week,” Lane said today.

“Otherwise, she would have gone to the Kembla Grange Qualifier (1400m) on Saturday week.

“It was great to qualify her at Newcastle, especially as that was her first try at 1400m.’

“I have no doubt there is further improvement to come.

“She will trial over 1200m at Royal Randwick a couple of weeks prior to the Final.

“With trackwork and that trial, she will be at her peak for April 11.”

Lane is keen to secure the same jockey for both the Randwick trial and PMC Final.

Whilst he already has qualified Oakfield Jupiter, he isn’t resting on his laurels and is keen to do the same with stablemate Oakfield Saturn for owner Bruce Mackenzie.

“Oakfield Saturn will go the Kembla Grange heat on Saturday week,” Lane said.

“She hasn’t raced since winning a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m) at our Saturday metropolitan stand-alone meeting on January 10 (when in blinkers for the first time).

“Oakfield Saturn had a nice quiet trial over 1000m at Wyong last Thursday without the blinkers (fourth to the pacy Mogul Monarch).

“She will eventually be looking for 2000m, but the 1400m when fresh will suit her at Kembla on Saturday week.”

Lane has done a splendid job with both Oakfield “girls” for their owner, winning four races with each.

Oakfield Jupiter (by Toronado) was a $320,000 purchase at the 2023 Inglis Classic yearling sale in Sydney, and Oakfield Saturn (by American Pharoah) cost $520,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter yearling sale a couple of months later.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, MARCH 8, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS