Queensland Oaks winner Amokura to bypass Caulfield and Melbourne Cups

Exciting staying filly Amokura will not run in either the Caulfield or Melbourne Cup.

Amokura dashes clear to win the Group 1 Queensland Oaks. Picture: Grant Peters–Trackside Photography.

Don’t expect to see the boom Kris Lees-trained Queensland Oaks winner Amokura in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups this spring.

The Newcastle trainer revealed the news that the filly will not attempt to emulate 2001 Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner Ethereal.

“She had six weeks off and is in pre-training at our Gold Coast stable,” Lees said. “She’ll do a month there before coming back to the Newcastle stable.”

Lees said he is wary of overdoing it with Amokura, who is the veteran of just one racing campaign which culminated in her Queensland Oaks success on June 3.

“I gave her six runs in her first racing campaign so I don’t want to overdo things with her this spring,” he said.

“To have six runs in her first preparation and win a Group 1. She came a long way in a short time.

“There was nothing of her, she was a big rangy thing so physically she has plenty of growing up to do.”

Amokura reigns supreme in the Queensland Oaks! 👑@Leesracing wins his second Queensland Oaks, while Damien Oliver scores his 128th Group 1 victory. pic.twitter.com/9U5IhnPO0e

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 3, 2023

Lees has already ruled out the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups as sprint targets indicating he’s “got no huge spring targets set for” the daughter of Kermadec.

“She won’t be ready for the Cups,” Lees said. “I won’t have time to get her ready for them because I wanted to give her a proper break.

“The logical target for her is going to be the Matriarch Stakes.

“She’ll have a couple of runs in Sydney then we’ll head down for her target, the Matriarch and if she was to run well then possibly the Zipping Classic.

“We could just as easily have two runs and she finds herself back in the paddock.

“My priority and focus will be looking after her because 2024 is going to be a big year for her.”

Amokura is listed as a $26 chance for the Caulfield Cup with TAB in early markets and at $51 in the Melbourne Cup.

Originally published as Queensland Oaks winner Amokura to bypass Caulfield and Melbourne Cups