You Wahng holds off rivals in 2025 Queensland Oaks
Seasoned trainer Kris Lees added another feather to his cap as You Wahng stormed home to take out the Queensland Oaks, giving Lees his third win in the classic for three-year-old fillies.
You Wahng ($19) showed determination over the 2200m trip, narrowly holding off a late charge from Pinito ($6) to claim Group 1 glory at Eagle Farm. It was a performance that echoed Lees’ earlier Oaks successes with Vitesse Dane and Amokura.
Tommy Berry’s ride from barrier seven drew praise from Lees. “Lovely ride from Tommy,” he said. “He was able to get us straight across from the gate and got into a lovely position in running. He had a lot of horse coming to the corner, but I was always just a little guarded that last furlong when she presented, but she was able to find under pressure.”
Trainer James Cummings looked poised for another big win with Pinito, but the Lees-trained filly held her off by a short head. Cummings’ bad luck extended to the favourite Philia ($4.40), who finished eighth after struggling to get into a decent early position.
Benagil ($7), the unlucky runner in The Roses, again found traffic in the straight and finished a close third. “She probably should have won,” said rider Mark Zahra. “She just lacks gate speed which meant we ended up on the inside, so we had a few traffic issues before we got clear air.”
Lees revealed that a tongue tie helped You Wahng return to form following a flat run at Gosford. “She ran really well in an ATC Oaks. We applied a tongue tie, and it’s really worked out well,” he said.
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