OTI’s De Armas aiming for Wakeful-Oaks double

New Zealand-bred filly De Armas is set to back up in Thursday’s Gr.1 Victoria Oaks (2500m) at Flemington following her dominant win in the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at the Melbourne track on Derby Day.

The daughter of Ardrossan won her first two starts in New Zealand for former trainer Johno Benner, including the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m), and was fourth in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) before being sold to trans-Tasman syndicator OTI Racing.

De Armas was subsequently entrusted to leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller, and she has continued to go from strength-to-strength, finishing runner-up in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) and fourth in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m), before Saturday’s Wakeful Stakes triumph.

“Chris has done a remarkably good job with her. She is a lovely filly,” OTI Racing director Terry Henderson said.

“We gave her a good, long spell after we bought her and I think that laid a good foundation for us to go into this prep. She took a little while to find her feet in those early trials, which weren’t all that impressive, but since then she has progressed and what she did in the Flight Stakes was very impressive.”

Henderson said De Armas has come through Saturday’s run well and he is hopeful she will see out the 2500m distance of the Oaks.

“To be honest, until Saturday I thought she might have struggled to get 2000m, and that was put to bed,” Henderson said. “She ran a strong 2000m the other day. If history is any guide, there is no reason why she won’t get the mile-and-a-half.”