Last week, Viable Tactics was scheduled to run in the GP Oaks, but trainer Mb Stables opted to scratch her out of the race. Instead, he would opt for the SA Oaks, and it would prove to be the correct decision as the filly would go on to score a two length victory and put herself in a position where Mb Stables needs to make a choice between three of his four eligible entries.

In 2017, the Shakertown moved from being for four year olds and upward to allowing three year olds to also take part. Since that change, only once has a three year old not ended up as a winner, as they get an eight point weight allowance. That’s significant in any form of racing, but especially in our virtual world, so it was hard to get excited about the chances of the four older horses in the field.

This weekend represents the last chance to qualify a horse into the KYO next month. With three 100-point races going on Friday and Saturday, and then a 10-point race on Sunday, there is still plenty of room for movement on the KYO leaderboard, and for new entries to crack the top fourteen.

The Shakertown first appeared in the game in 2004, but a major change was made to the race in 2017 that has played a significant impact. Prior to that year, the race was for four year olds and upward only, but in 2017, they allowed three year olds to take part.

State Star was making her graded debut in the GP Oaks, and it was also the first time that she was running more than seven furlongs in her career. Recent works suggested she’d be fine with the distance and could handle this crowd. One thing that was not a first for her was running on a sloppy track.