Blue Denim third in Oaks

Press, 20 April 1979, Page 4 (Supplement)

Blue Denim third in Oaks

NZPA Sydney The New Zealand filly, Blue Denim produced a dogged staying performance to run third behind the outsiders Valley of Georgia and Just Jealous in the $50,000 A. J. C. Oaks at Randwick on Wednesday. The big shock of the race was the dismal performance of the odds on favourite Scomeld, which finished tenth of 15 runners. David Peake took a little while to get Blue Denim into full stride when he brought her off the rails in the straight, but she went to the post well to head the New Zealand-bred Palace Gossip for third place.

The trainer, Dave O’Sullivan, who has already had great success in Sydney with Shivaree. said Blue Denim would return to New Zealand without a further run.

Wednesday’s winner. Valiev of Georgia, is a bay filly b\ Century out of Sudi.

Her success caps a remarkable run of achieve ments by her sire in major races in Sydnev this autumn.

Century alsn fathered Century Miss, the winner of the $250,000 Golden Slipper Stakes for two-year-olds and Double - Century, first past

the post in Monday’s $200,000 A. J. C. Derby but subsequently relegated to second on protest from the rider of Dulcify. Earlier the New Zealandbred Doncaster Handicap winner Belmura Lad, showed no after-effects of his record-breaking run on Saturday by winning the $20,000 weight-for-age AilAged Stakes. He was carrying an extra 5.5 kg on Wednesday, but went to the line strongly to beat the favourite, Always Welcome by two lengths and a quarter. Leonotis was third. Prancer, March Legend and Kaiser ran sixth, seventh and last respectively in a field of nine. March Legend’s effort was disappointing, but Prancer’s run was not a bad trial for tomorrow’s Sydney Cup.