Mendelssohn Filly Wins Again in Tasmanian Oaks

Wings of Song (3f Mendelssohn x Tortoni, by Strategic) visited the winner’s circle for the fifth consecutive time on Sunday with a win in the Listed Tasmanian Oaks in Australia.

A homebred for Sandy Tait and Jill Nivison, the filly easily navigated the same 1 5/16-mile distance she had seen two weeks previously in the Listed Strutt Stakes and had the lead at the top of the straight. Another horse tried to stick with her, but Wings of Song eased away to win by half a length in the end.

Trained by Patrick Payne, Wings of Song has won six starts overall with nine top three finishes in 11 starts including wins in the Listed Tasmanian Guineas, Listed Strutt Stakes, and the 1000 Guineas.

The filly is one of three stakes performers out of Tortoni. That mare’s other runners include Group II winner Cherry Tortoni and Churchill’s stakes placed Jenny Jerome with five winners from five overall.

Success runs in the family with Tortoni’s Grade I winning dam producing Australian champion Tie The Knot and the stakes winning duo of Hood and Dream Ballad.

The dam of five winners from five to race, 14-year-old Tortoni had a St Mark’s Basilica filly last year before being bred back to Churchill for a full sibling to Jenny Jerome.

It was a big weekend for Mendelssohn, who also saw daughter Midsummer March impressive when breaking her maiden at Oaklawn and son Pleaseusetheportal finish second in the Luke Kruytbosch Stakes on Thursday.