Unbeaten Proxima Dea heads to Flemington for Crown Oaks
Zac Lloyd will ride the filly in the A$1 million race after she extended her unbeaten record to five starts in the Spring Champion Stakes.
Proxima Dea has travelled to Melbourne for the A$1 million Crown Oaks at Flemington, with trainer David Payne saying her preparation for the 2,500m Group 1 race is complete.
The filly remains unbeaten after five starts in her first racing preparation. Her latest victory came against male rivals in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes, taking her from maiden company to success in a three-year-old classic.
Payne said Proxima Dea had coped comfortably with left-handed gallops at Rosehill despite having no race experience in the Melbourne direction. She completed a strong training gallop before the trip, and he said she would not require further fast work ahead of the Oaks.
Zac Lloyd, Sydney’s leading jockey, will take the ride. Payne said he would prefer the filly to settle among the first three or four runners. He also said her rapid progress had surprised him, describing her recovery after races and gallops as quick.
