De Armas to back up in Victoria Oaks
Joshua Smith • November 2nd, 2026 5:23 PM
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 Gr.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 Gr.1 Flight Stakes (1600m) and fourth in the Gr.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.”
De Armas will head for a spell following Thursday, with a view to returning to her homeland next year to contest the $4.5 million The NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie in March.
“That (NZB Kiwi) was always our plan prior to her running so well on Saturday,” Henderson said. “We will have a good think about that after it (Oaks). She has been very effective at 1500m, so there is no reason why we wouldn’t consider it.
“She has been up a while and she will need a bit of a break after this, so whether we have got time to do both New Zealand and then have her ready for the Vinery (Gr.1, 2000m), Chris will work that out.”
OTI Racing’s silks will also be out in force at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, where they will be represented by four runners, including Athabascan, who is set to cross the Tasman to contest the Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton on Saturday week.
A proven stayer, Athabascan was runner-up in the 2024 edition of the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) and contested last year’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), and Henderson believes the New Zealand Cup is the perfect race for him.
“Providing they don’t put a block of flats on his back, he will be heading to the New Zealand Cup. I think it is a really good race for this horse,” he said.
The John O'Shea and Tom Charlton-trained eight-year-old will fly directly from Melbourne to Christchurch on Wednesday.
“Because of the (New Zealand) Trotting Cup, they have put on a flight on Wednesday, I think, so we will jump on that,” Henderson said. “That is why we can’t hold him for the Queen Elizabeth (Gr.3, 2600m), so he has to race tomorrow.”
Athabascan will contest the Australian Heritage Cup (2800m) on Tuesday, and Henderson is confident of a bold showing.
“He will run well,” he said. “There will be a lot of pace in that race, we have got a couple of other horses in that race that tend to go forward, providing the track is not too wet. If the track is okay, he should be finishing off strongly.”
Opie Bosson has been booked to ride Athabascan in the New Zealand Cup.
New Zealand-bred gelding Wymark will also represent OTI Racing in the Listed Asahi Super Dry Plate (1800m), and Henderson is hoping he makes it back-to-back wins after claiming the Listed Seymour Cup (1600m) for trainer Gavin Bedggood last month.
“Wymark has been a revelation,” Henderson said. “He was with Michael Freedman and we moved him to Gavin Bedggood, and Gavin has done a remarkable job with him. He won the Seymour Cup and he is in a nice race tomorrow.
“He will need a bit of luck, it is a strong race. He is such a competitive horse, and it is not going to surprise if he features.”
Fellow Kiwi-bred No Fuss will resume over 1400m for OTI Racing and trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy.
“No Fuss is returning from a long break,” Henderson said. “He had an injury in his suspensory, which took a long time to come right, but we have given him a very good rehab, and his trials have been good.
“This is a kick-off race tomorrow and we don’t have any high expectations other than he will come out of the race well and lay a foundation for the prep.”
At Flemington on Oaks Day, New Zealand-bred Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) hero Warmonger will resume for OTI Racing and trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr in the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes (1600m).
He hasn’t been sighted on raceday since he finished 13th in last year’s Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m).
“He is having his first run back after a tendon injury,” Henderson said. “He has been trialling very well, and he will need the run, but it won’t surprise us if he is quite sharp tomorrow.”
Looking ahead to Saturday, Henderson is upbeat about the prospects of the Tony Pike-trained Grocer’s Girl in the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton and New Zealand-bred King Pedro in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington.
“Grocer’s Girl will probably go to the 1000 Guineas,” Henderson said. “She will relish getting out to a mile in a much stronger paced race. He (Pike) hasn’t made up his mind on whether he is going to start her this Saturday or next Saturday (in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas), but she will probably go this Saturday.
“King Pedro will take his place in the Queen Elizabeth and we are really looking forward to him in that race. He is a lovely horse, he is a Melbourne Cup horse for next year, and I think he can make his presence felt on Saturday."
