Prestige abound. It's Derby season and the Epsom showpiece kicks off with Oaks day, over 1m4f for the 3 year old fillies. The field is lead by 1000 Guineas winner and Irish 1000 Guineas runner up Minding who is a country mile clear on ratings and a deserved clear favourite but as yet is unproven at the trip. Aiden O'Brien had a 1-2-3 in the Newmarket and it is a feat that is possible again with Lingfield trial winner Seventh Heaven and Cheshire Oaks winner Somehow also entered.
Of those trailing in Minding's wake in Guineas only Turret Rocks re-opposes - She shaped OK in that race without really having the pace, this may be more suitable. Godolphin have had a good start to the season and run Skiffle who will also appreciate the trip. The favourite aside, it does seem to be a wide open race, with the good to soft ground perhaps opening it up to a shock winner - that would include Harlequeen and Australian Queen who were a long way back behind So Mi Dar at York - it is a shame that the latter filly is injured as she would likely have given Minding a race. The field is concluded by Hugo Palmer's Architecture and Ralph Beckett's Diamonds Pour Moi who have both been beaten by O'Brien's fillies last time out. Despite the favourites dominance on ratings achieved so far, it's likely to be a wide open race and there are holes in most of them!
Shrew's Shrewdie
4:30 - Minding 11/10f
1-2-3
Minding - Harlequeen - Turret Rocks
4:30 - Oaks, 1m4f
Runner By Runner Guide
1. Architecture
Her breeding would suggest she wants little further than a mile, however she stayed on gamely behind Seventh Heaven at Lingfield over 10f suggesting she might well get another 2 - Epsom's undulations are pretty gruelling though and it does remain an unknown - I would expect her to improve however from that seasonal debut and in Hugo Palmer she has a trainer who knows how to really bring through a middle distance filly as he has proven with multiple group winner Covert Love. Frankie Dettori is a positive.
2. Australian Queen
Running in the same silks as Arabain Queen who beat last year's Derby and Arc winner in the Juddmonte - and that might be the most positive thing to say about her chances. The Musiadora is a great trial, but she had about 10 lengths to find on the winner and 4 on Harlequeen who ran in 4th and also lines up here.
3. Diamonds Pour Moi
Another trainer who clearly knows what he's doing with fillies. Diamond's Pour Moi is not ruled out - she was 1l behind Somehow in a good trial at Chester - she was done for toe inside the final furlong there but it was her first run of the season and the little bit of soft in the ground today may mean that that counts for less today. Not ruled out.
4. Harlequeen
Has obvious stamina running on well in both starts this season despite settling badly - won't get away with that today but if she has matured a little then has a chance of running into the frame.
5. Minding
Looked emphatic in the 1000 Guineas and would've done so again if not for running into a drastically improved Jet Setting getting her conditions at the Curragh. She is by Galileo so one would expect that the trip should be suitable despite not yet being tested at this distance. On one hand the way she battled against Jet Setting from a long way out in the Irish Guineas backs this up, on the other hand, that race was less than a fortnight ago and it's difficult to say what her exertions already this season have taken out of her. She should be able to win this doing handstands and any odds against may look big come 4:35, but she is far from bulletproof.
6. Seventh Heaven
Winning an Oaks Trial is not a bad thing and represented a big step forward from a largely disappointing two year old season and a nothingy win at Dundalk on the all weather over 1m. Seems to have emerged from relatively out of nowhere but has the good pedigree to suggest a big run - however one would expect that as the weaker of the O'Brien trio that she might well be in a role of setting things up for the winner more than running her own race. We shall see.
7. Skiffle
Another to have emerged from obscurity - the fact that she didn't run as a two year old feels like a negative and it's hard to get my head around the high rating achieved last time out albeit for a good listed win at Goodwood. I might be proved completely wrong but there is better form on offer at better odds.
8. Somehow
Really interesting competitor based on Chester win beating Diamonds Pour Moi in the process. Less can be read into Ryan Moore's selection on fillies than can be on colts, and there may be some loyalty to Minding after her Guineas win - however I'd take that as a sign that she is a clear stable number one. If her stamina does come undone though this could be the horse to save the day and pick up the pieces for Ireland.
9. Turret Rocks
I like Turret Rocks a lot as I already mentioned in my Guineas preview, but she was badly outpaced on that day. A test of stamina would likely be much more up her street and it is a big plus that Jim Bolger decided to swerve the Irish Guineas with her to come here instead. A bounce back is certainly possible and the run behind Ballydoyle in the Marcel Boussac proves a level of class. However she did disappoint hugely in fading back to 6th very quickly when beaten at Newmarket and that may be hard to instantly forgive.
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