Overview
- Proxima Dea, ridden by Zac Lloyd, won the Group 1 VRC Oaks at Flemington on Thursday to extend her unbeaten record to six career starts.
- The filly overcame a wide outside barrier and the question of racing in the Melbourne direction for the first time to surge clear on the straight and win decisively.
- Trainer David Payne said the performance confirmed Proxima Dea is a natural stayer and immediately flagged the Melbourne Cup as a future target while planning a spell to let her mature.
- De Armas, fresh from a Wakeful Stakes win, and Shameful Impulse finished behind Proxima Dea, with De Armas identified beforehand as the principal danger on form.
- Connections pointed to her staying family and top-line lead-up wins over 2,000m as evidence she can handle genuine staying tests, and the Oaks result shifts her campaign from three-year-old classics toward longer-distance racing.