Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell was delighted 12 months ago when his filly Atlantic Gem, a $26 outsider, ran home fast from ninth at the bell to finish second to Madam Publisher in the WA Oaks, and now he is aiming to go one better and win the 2025 TABtouch WA Oaks at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He is pinning his faith on Copper Head Lady, who will be making her first appearance over 2536m and will be driven for the first time by Jack Callaghan from the favourable No. 2 barrier.
“The plan will be to lead, and it will be a matter of taking no prisoners, and in front she will be able to control the race,” said a confident Bell.
“I feel that I have her absolutely spot on and I’m upbeat about her chances. She hasn’t had much luck at her past two runs, and I consider that going forward is her go. Her latest run was very good when she made up ground (when she ran on from sixth at the bell to finish third behind Fakenit and Bettathanlife in the Daintys Daughter Classic a fortnight ago).”
Copper Head Lady is by boom sire Sweet Lou and is out of Artistic Copper, who led early and then trailed the pacemaker Libertybelle Midfrew when sixth behind that brilliant pacer in the 2014 WA Oaks.
Copper Head Lady, a winner at five of her eleven starts, is sure to receive serious opposition from Bettathanlife and Fakenit. But Bell believes that Copper Head Lady has a decisive advantage, starting from barrier two, while Bettathanlife (barrier five) and Fakenit (eight) will be required to cover extra ground.
The New Zealand-bred Bettathanlife and the WA-bred Fakenit are the most inexperienced runners in the race, with Fakenit, prepared by Gary Hall snr, and to be driven by Maddison Brown, enjoying a brilliant lead-up to the big group 1 feature event, winning from Bettathanlife at her past two outings.
Fakenit is by American Ideal and is the first foal out of Fake News, who raced 38 times for 14 wins, six seconds, and one third for stakes of $177,412. She finished fifth behind Has No Fear in the 2019 WA Oaks, and Brown drove her once --- at her third last race when fourth in a 2130m Free-For-All behind Chicago Bull.
Is She Talking, the dam of Fake News, contested the 2012 WA Oaks in which she finished eleventh behind Sensational Gabby after finishing second to that star filly in an Oaks prelude.
Fakenit did not race as a two-year-old, and her form as a three-year-old cannot be faulted --- seven starts for four wins, two seconds and one third placing.
Three starts ago she raced three back on the pegs before running home fast to be second to the frontrunning Its Maa Time in the $100,000 Westbred final, and then she began from the back line in a 2536m Oaks Prelude and was ninth at the bell before charging home, out three wide, to snatch a last-stride half-head victory over Bettathanlife, rating 1.57.2.
A week later Fakenit enjoyed an ideal trip in the one-out, one-back position before dashing home over the final 400m in 28.2sec. to beat Bettathanlife, who raced wide early and broke into a bad gallop after about 80m.
Bettathanlife dropped back to tenth before Gary Hall jnr sent the filly forward with a sizzling burst to move to the breeze outside the pacemaker Ruby Lovera with two laps to travel. Bettathanlife eventually got to a narrow lead 250m from home. But Fakenit carried too many guns over the final stages to score by a length, rating 1.56.4 over 2130m.
The stewards then ordered Bettathanlife back to trials --- and the filly lined up in a 2150m four-horse trial at Byford last Saturday when she was not bustled early by Hall before he dashed her forward after 100m to take the lead 100m later. But Bettathanlife broke in front 450m from the finish and did not complete the trial.
Hall then took the opportunity to enable Bettathanlife to contest the Oaks by starting her in a six-horse trial over 2130m at Kellerberrin last Sunday in which she was driven by Emily Suvaljko.
Bettathanlife raced three wide early before taking the lead after 500m, and she went on to win by 17 lengths from Wicked Lover without breaking into a gallop, even though her pacing action was not perfect.
“She paced better at Kellerberrin than she did at Byford,” said Hall. “I can’t put my finger on what the problem is and why she has galloped. Actually, she is a great pacer, and I’m hoping she does everything right on Friday night. Barrier five is not an ideal draw, but she is pretty tough and the 2500m will help her.”
Hall is seeking his fourth Oaks victory after wins with Miss Holmes in 2004, Major Reality in 2015 and August Moon in 2023
Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice has prepared winners of the WA Oaks with Major Reality, Our Major Mama (2018) and Has No Fear (2019) and he will be looking for strong performances this week from the polemarker Poppyonthebeach (Mitch Miller) and Ruby Lovera (Kyle Harper) who will begin from the inside of the back line.
Ruby Lovera is the winner of six races and is capable of fighting out the finish. She began from the No. 1 barrier when she set the pace before wilting to finish fourth behind Fakenit in the 2130m Daintys Daughter Classic a fortnight ago.
“She copped a bit of pressure (from Bettathanlife) and was a bit keen herself out in front, and that coupled with the pressure she suffered caused her to fade late,” said Harper. “I thought at the top of the straight that she had it shot to bits.
“She has come back more mature and stronger this season, but probably just couldn’t handle the mental pressure at this stage of her career. This week I think she will be better suited racing with a sit, and 2536m will suit her.”
Greg Bond, who celebrates his birthday on Friday, prepared Millwood Meg for her Oaks victory in 2010, and he and his wife Skye won the classic with Dodolicious in 2016. The stable will be represented this week by Captainshavtime (barrier four) and Kinky (on the outside of the back line).
Deni Roberts, who will drive Captainshavtime, a winner at seven of her 16 starts, said: “She has good gate speed, but I don’t think she can get to the rail. So, we will push forward and try to get a spot, and hopefully she will be up on the speed where she does her better work.”
