Quality filly Mac ‘n’ Cheese staked a powerful claim for the upcoming Group I SAJC Australasian Oaks when winning the Listed SAJC Clare Lindop Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on Saturday.

A stakes-winner at the same track last July, the Tony and Calvin McEvoy trained filly was impressive when resuming from a spell to win over 1200m at her previous run and handled the step up in distance with ease.

She settled midfield for Barend Vorster and when angled into the clear, Mac ‘n’ Cheese shot clear to win by three lengths in a dominant display.

“Everything about her to Calvin and myself has been a mile and above,” said Tony McEvoy.

“Everything about her tells me she will love the 2000m of the Oaks.”

Bred by Nick Vass, Mac ‘N’ Cheese was a $300,000 purchase by Spendthrift Australia from the Newgate Farm draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Yearling Sale and has the overall record of three wins and two placings from seven starts with prizemoney just shy of $170,000.

Foaled and raised at Newgate, she is the third live foal and third stakes-winner out of the class racemare and grand producer Bonnie Mac, whose previous foals are Group I winner Exceedance and Group II winner Oxley Road.

Bonnie Mac died in 2020 and her last foal is a two year-old Capitalist colt that sold for $1,050,000 at Inglis Easter last year when bought by Hickman Racing and has been named Capital Mac. He is yet to trial.

While Mac ‘n’ Cheese’s two stakes-winning half-brothers are both sprinters, they are by Exceed and Excel, whereas her sire Sebring is noted for his versatility and has left Derby and Oaks winners so the 2000m should hold no fears for this girl.

As the only filly from blue hen Bonnie Mac, Mac’n’ Cheese is a valuable filly already, but a Group I win would put her in very elite territory.