FLEMINGTON STAKES WINNER FOR CIRCUS MAXIMUS ON TRACK FOR THE OAKS

 

Highly touted filly MISS WAITITI was such an impressive winner of Saturday’s Listed Howden SUPER IMPOSE Stakes (1800m) at Flemington that the daughter of exciting young sire CIRCUS MAXIMUS is now a $4 favourite for the Gr. 1 VRC Oaks on the 5th November next month.

Making just her third career start for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable, MISS WAITITI settled behind the leaders before bursting through along the inside in the straight and racing away to score by two and a half lengths.

Trainer Mick Price confirmed after the race that the Gr.1 Oaks is firmly on the filly’s agenda.

“We will pick out one of the lead up races either the Ethereal or the Wakefield on the way to the Oaks,” Price said.

Jockey Craig Williams was equally impressed, describing MISS WAITITI as a “really nice, promising filly” and saying the Gr.1 VRC Oaks was “definitely where she should be going.”

Miss Waititi is a graduate of our own Windsor Park, South Island, RUGBY RACING and BEER Sale held in Christchurch, where she got sold to the bid of Tony Pike who then on sold her after an impressive trial to Phil Cataldo for the Price/ Kent stable. 

The victory provides another significant boost for CIRCUS MAXIMUS, whose first Southern Hemisphere crop is already establishing an impressive record across Australasia.
 
The son of GALILEO is already the sire of 2026 Gr.1 New Zealand Derby winner ROAD TO PARIS from his first crop.
 
Another daughter PALTROW MISS has further strengthened the stallion’s credentials at the highest level, placing in both the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks and Gr.1 Queensland Oaks. 
 
Also among his leading first-crop performers which includes 6 black type performers is TOWERING VISION, a stakes-winning two-year-old who has continued to perform at three and with another impressive win last week for Te Akau training duo of Walker and Bergerson. 
 
A triple Group 1 winner, CIRCUS MAXIMUS won the Gr.1 St James’s Palace Stakes and Gr.1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, together with the Gr.1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, all over 1600m. 
 
CIRCUS MAXIMUS stands at Windsor Park Stud for $20,000 + GST in 2026, with a Live Foal Guarantee.