In a VRC Oaks victory littered with so many subplots it is difficult to know where to start.

The winning horse, Strictly Business, was home-bred from a $600 mare by NZ sire Grunt. As far as bargains go, she was as cheap as chips.

The winning trainer, Thomas Carberry, is from one of Ireland’s most famous racing families, but would not turn a head while walking down a footpath in his adopted home of Ballarat.

He came to Australia to work on a stud, met his wife, Monique, while riding track work for Darren Weir and now trains a dozen horses.

One of them just won the $1 million Oaks, a victory that came five days after Ballarat trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy won the Melbourne Cup.

It was a David versus Goliath moment at Flemington on Thursday before a crowd of 51,239 people.

Strictly Bu

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