Proxima Dea wins Oaks as trainer sets Melbourne Cup goal
The three-year-old filly remains unbeaten after six starts, with Shameful Impulse and De Armas completing the Oaks placings.
Proxima Dea has claimed the A$1 million Oaks for trainer David Payne and jockey Zac Lloyd, extending her unbeaten record to six wins and prompting Payne to identify the Melbourne Cup as a future goal.
The three-year-old filly raced wide through the opening bend and along the back straight before pulling away in the straight. Shameful Impulse finished second, with De Armas taking third.
Payne praised the performance despite the ground Proxima Dea covered, saying she had raced three and four horses wide but was better than her rivals.
The trainer said his ambition to win a Melbourne Cup might give him a reason to keep training. Lloyd also praised the filly following the Oaks victory.
The final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival will feature three Group 1 races, each worth A$3 million: the Champions Sprint, Champions Mile and Champions Stakes.
