Group 1 Glory Down Under For Sioux Nation

Sioux Nation celebrated Group 1 success on Saturday when the game Socks Nation (3f Sioux Nation – Tahnee Tiara, by Commands) captured the Queensland Oaks for Ciaron Maher.

Racing over a mile and three furlongs, the bay tracked the leader under Ryan Maloney and was pushed along to lead with a furlong and a half left to run. Our Gold Hope produced a strong challenge soon after, but Socks Nation battled back to lead by a neck on the line.

“It’s phenomenal,” Maher said after the race. “She’s been in work 13 months, this filly, and she just keeps on running really well. She’s a tough filly.”

Discussing his winning ride, Maloney revealed, “I was confident at the 600-metre mark, when I pressed the button we put a bit of a margin on them. I didn’t want them to outsprint me so I went a bit earlier than I would have done usually. When Craig [Williams, on Our Gold Hope] came up to me, I thought we might be passed but she was so tough.”

Bred by IV Millard, Socks Nation was bought by Suman Hedge Bloodstock as a yearling for $160,000, with her buyer now owning the bay with Sheriff Iskander. The Group 1 heroine hails from Sioux Nation’s sole southern hemisphere crop of just 20 runners, which also includes Group 3 and Listed scorer Archo Nacho.

Sioux Nation is responsible for 11 Group winners overall, from three crops of racing age in the northern hemisphere and the sole southern hemisphere crop. They include last month’s impressive Group 2 winner Ocean Jewel, 1,000 Guineas third Matilda Picotte and four-time Group scorer Brave Emperor.