Oaks prospect Proxima Dea remains unbeaten

Promising staying three-year-old Proxima Dea (Tarzino) extended her perfect record to three out of three with an irresistible finish in Saturday’s A$120,000 Midway Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill.

The David Payne-trained Proxima Dea had made a winning debut over 1400m at Rosehill on July 11, and she followed that up with another victory in a 1600m race at Gosford on August 6.

That impressive start to her racing career prompted Payne to label the Tarzino filly a Gr.1 VRC Oaks (2500m) prospect, and she was sent out as a $4 second favourite on Saturday behind the $3.40 market leader Doradus (Adelaide).

The latter adopted the same tearaway tactics that carried him to an impressive win in his previous start, opening up a big lead during the middle stages of the race while Proxima Dea settled in fourth.

Doradus kicked off the home turn but began to tire in the final 200m, and Proxima Dea was the one to take advantage. She warmed into her work stylishly for apprentice jockey Braith Nock and finished over the top of the favourite in the closing stages to score a narrow but impressive win.

“David told me she stays, so that gave me some confidence,” Nock said. “I peeled off on the turn and thought we’d run a nice second, but she knuckled down and reeled him in. The further we went, the better she was. She’s got a bright future.”

Proxima Dea is a full-sister to Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) winner Gypsy Goddess (NZ) and will continue along her own classic path this spring.

“I think she’s an Oaks filly, the VRC Oaks,” Payne said. “She just keeps getting better and better.

“There’s a lot of options leading up to the Oaks for her, both here and in Melbourne. I might run her here in the Gloaming (Gr.3, 1800m) and then work out what race to lead her into the Oaks.

“She’s a filly with plenty of upside, so I do think the best is still to come.”

Proxima Dea was bred by Transtasman Breeders Pty Ltd and is by Tarzino (NZ) (Tavistock), who himself won the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington as a three-year-old. Tarzino has gone on to a successful stallion career at Westbury Stud, where his 126 winners include nine at stakes level, headed by classic winners Gypsy Goddess, Jungle Magnate (NZ) and Willydoit (NZ).

North Bloodstock offered Proxima Dea at the 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where she was bought by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock for A$300,000. She has now had three starts for three wins and A$158,500 in stakes.

The dam of Proxima Dea is the Redoute’s Choice mare Invisible Coin, whose five other winning progeny include Gypsy Goddess and the Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) placegetter Bitcoin (NZ) (Tarzino).