TEAM KEANREY'S FILLY GETS OAKS SHOT

TUESDAY: November 4, 2025: HAWKESBURY husband and wife trainers Mitch and Desiree Kearney will front up at Flemington on Thursday with their first Group 1 runner in Melbourne – with ample encouragement from jockey Rachel King.

Team Kearney arrived in Melbourne late this morning with their three-year-old filly Sheeza Diva, whom King will ride in the $1m Crown Oaks (2500m).

Sheeza Diva returns to her own sex in the fillies’ classic after taking on the “boys” at her last two starts when fourth in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens on October 11, and eighth in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick a fortnight later.

King rode her in both races.

“Sheeza Diva ran so well in the Gloaming, and then overdid things a bit by racing keenly in the early and middle stages at Randwick,” Mrs Kearney said.

“She also was held up for clear running in the early part of the straight.

“Rachel gave us enough encouragement afterwards to keep going with our plan to go to Melbourne for the Oaks.

“She told us not to steer off course, and was happy to continue riding her.

“When Sheeza Diva kept doing well after the Spring Champion, we decided to keep going.”’

The Kearneys left Hawkesbury at 1.30am floating the filly to Melbourne, and arrived at their Flemington base around nine hours later.

“We were able to watch the start of the Melbourne Cup near the barriers,” Mrs Kearney said.

“That was such a thrill.”

Sheeza Diva, a daughter of Golden Slipper winner Pierro, was a $15,000 buy at last year’s Inglis Classic yearling sale.

She has so far earned just over $100,000, and that will be greatly increased by $600,000 if she can win the Oaks.

And of course her value as a future broodmare also will be will be considerably boosted.

“We bought Sheeza Diva at the Classic sale principally with the $2m Inglis Millennium at Randwick in mind earlier this year,” Mrs Kearney said.

“She ran fifth to subsequent Millennium winner Rivellino over 1000m at her first start at Randwick in January, and then finished third to Wodeton at Rosehill Gardens a fortnight later.

“But we started to feel that she would be better suited around 1600m instead of the shorter races.

“Sheeza Diva has continued to improve this preparation, and deserves her chance to contest the Oaks.”

. The Hawkesbury filly was a $31 chance this evening with TAB.com.au in a market dominated by last Saturday’s Wakeful Stakes winner Getta Good Feeling ($1.80).