Tuesday, 23 March 2010:
A repeat performance at Warwick Farm of her recent Hawkesbury win will confirm the Oaks credentials of Isola, a close relation to champion stayer Tie The Knot.
Trainer Guy Walter is more than familiar with the family having prepared Tie The Knot to win 13 Group One races including two
Ranvet Stakes, two Mercedes (now BMW) Classics and two Sydney Cups.
His siblings have not reached those heights but Walter believes Isola, who is out of La Zabaglione, a daughter of Tie The Knot's dam Whisked, has the potential to make her mark at the highest level.
She goes into Wednesday's Cherrybrook Handicap (1600m) off a tough last-to-first win at Hawkesbury on March 11.
"Not many horses can circle the field at Hawkesbury like she did," Walter said.
"Her pedigree says she will get over ground. She is a half-sister to Sandberg who is a promising stayer.
"The plan is to go to the Adrian Knox and then to the Oaks."
Walter has two other Oaks contenders in Foxstar and Slapstick, winner of Sunday's Keith Nolan Classic at Kembla Grange.
"Foxstar will run at Randwick next week and then go to the Adrian Knox while we still have to decide about Slapstick," Walter said.
"She is only a little thing and it could be too hard to run her in the Adrian Knox and back up a week later in the Oaks.
"The Storm Queen might be the better option."
The Group One Storm Queen Stakes (2000m) is at Rosehill on April 3, two weeks before the AJC Australian Oaks and one week before the Adrian Knox.
While it might seem like a quantum leap from provincial or midweek racing to Oaks riches, it has worked for Walter-trained horses in the past.
Republic Lass won a class three at Hawkesbury on March 7, 2002 and backed up a week later for a restricted win at Canterbury before going on to win both the Adrian Knox Stakes and the AJC Australian Oaks.
In March 2004, Wild Iris broke her maiden at Canterbury and also took out both races at her next two starts while Perfect Drop won a Newcastle maiden and two midweek races before running second in the 2007 Adrian Knox and the Oaks.
Although it has proven to be a winning formula, it has been born out of necessity with Walter among the most vocal critics regarding the lack of lead-up races for staying fillies in the autumn.
"They don't cater for the progressive staying fillies," he said.
While Isola appears to have inherited staying ability, Tie The Knot's half-brother Hood will be brought back to 1300 metres on Wednesday.
Hood won a 1300m maiden on debut at Goulburn in January and has run second over 1400 and third over 1600 at two subsequent starts.
