March 13, 2014 - Contenders from Ireland, France and North America feature among the 75 entries for this year's Group One Investec Oaks (in memory of Sir Henry Cecil), the Classic highlight of Investec Ladies' Day at Epsom Downs, Friday, June 6. please log in to view this image Ireland's champion trainer Aidan O'Brien has sent out the winner of the mile and a half Classic four times and the Ballydoyle handler is responsible for 11 contenders this year headed by Tapestry, who is 8/1 favourite with Coral, official betting partner of the Investec Derby Festival. The daughter of Galileo captured the Group Two Debutante Stakes at the Curragh in August before being promoted to second behind the Clive Brittain-trained Rizeenaafter meeting trouble in running in the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes at the same course in September. O'Brien's entries also include Group Three scorer Wonderfully, Leopardstown maiden winner Bracelet, Adeste Fideles, a daughter of the 2001 Oaks winner Imagine, plusDance With Another and Sparrow, whose dams both finished second in the Epsom Downs fillies' Classic. A total of 19 Irish-trained entries also include My Tatania, who won the Group Three C L Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh in September and represents the same owner/trainer combination of Christopher Tsui and John Oxx that enjoyed Investec Derby success with the filly's sire Sea The Stars in 2009. Michael Dickinson sent over Wolf Prince from the United States to finish eighth in the 1993 Investec Derby and there could be further American interest at Epsom Downs this year with the Kenny McPeek-trained Rosalind. The daughter of Broken Vow readily scored on her debut in a mile turf maiden Ellis Park in August before running some excellent races in Pattern company, including a fine second in the Grade One Alcibiades Stakes on the Polytrack of Keeneland and a close third on dirt in the Grade One Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita. She kept on to take third on her seasonal return in an allowance race on dirt at Gulfstream Park on February 27. McPeek reported: "We are seriously considering Rosalind for the Investec Oaks. She is out of a Theatrical mare, has won on the turf and is pretty versatile. "If she runs well on her next two starts, which are likely to be the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland and the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, then we will seriously look at coming to Epsom. "A mile and a half is not going to be an issue with her. She's a big filly and I think that she is going to grow into a better horse as a three-year-old. She knocked on the door against some of the best fillies in the nation last year. "The truth is that she probably should have won the Breeders' Cup but she went to her knees leaving the gate and only got beat half a length. I think that grass is probably her favourite surface but we pursued the dirt angle for the Breeders' Cup and nearly pulled it off. "I was a little disappointed with her return at Gulfstream Park but I think that the pace of the race worked against her - there wasn't any speed early on and it turned into a bit of a sprint. She kicked home but wasn't able to catch them. With the benefit of hindsight, I should have looked for another race for her. "It would be pretty exciting to try and pull off the Kentucky Oaks and Investec Oaks double." France could also be represented in the Investec Oaks with nine entries including Al Ghyzal, who could be a first Epsom Classic runner for Al Shaqab Racing, debut winners Shamkala and Sinnamary, plus Zarshana, who is a Sea The Stars half-sister to a brilliant Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner, Zarkava. Ihtimal, from the stable of Saeed bin Suroor, has already posted a pair Classic wins in Dubai this year and the five Godolphin entries also feature the Charlie Appleby-trained Folk Melody, a daughter of Group One scorer Folk Opera, who made an impressive winning debut at Newmarket. Ralph Beckett saddled a memorable one-two in last year's race and the trainer may be represented this season by Doncaster maiden winner Regardez, who is out of a half-sister to his 2008 Investec Oaks heroine Look Here. Andrew Balding sent out Casual Look to glory in the Investec Oaks in 2003 and the trainer has entered her daughter Casual Smile. The Sea The Stars filly went down by a neck to the John Gosden-trained Taghrooda on her latest start at Newmarket in September. Six entries from Sir Michael Stoute include Sea The Bloom, a daughter of Group One winner Red Bloom, and a pair of fillies owned by The Queen - Shama and Queen's Prize. Other notable entries include the Charlie Hills-trained Cambridge and Amazing Maria, who was the decisive winner of a Group Three contest at Goodwood for Ed Dunlop in August. For further information, please contact: Andrew Cooper, Head of Racing and Clerk of the Course at Epsom Downs Racecourse: 07885 627097 or [email protected] Olivia Hills at JSC Sport: 07785 627097 or [email protected] Odds Check
So have we seen a likely Oaks winner today. Hard to make a case for anything on pedigree, other than Bracelet and she looked as though something went wrong. Maybe something else will appear later.
Very interesting the Pretty Polly stick - what about this Coolmore filly with Gosden? Very nicely bred filly, sister to Astrology
please log in to view this image Looking good, dont know how strong a race that was though and Cambridge still to show her hand.
Since Dunfermline in 1977 (I remember it well because I was at Devil's Dyke at the time) the winner of the (British) Pretty Polly Stakes hadn't produced the Oaks winner until Ouija Board pulled it off in 2004. Then Talent did it last year. Today's winner certainly has the pedigree for it. The time of the race was very slow but she did win easily and is sure to be suited by the extra 2f. All we need to know now is whether she will handle the track. There is still time for something else to catch the eye.
Whether or not she heads straight to Epsom, as both Talent and Ouija Board did, Gosden is undecided: "We might go to Epsom for a gallop or go for a trial," he said. "The next trials come a bit quick - the Musidora and Newbury are ten or 12 days away - and then Goodwood comes a little close. We'll see how she's going over the next few days." Excellent. Given the pedigree I would be surprised if she didn't act on the track so probably best to get on before she confirms it. Well done to Joe, and stick, getting on at fancy prices
Haven't looked at what's still entered in the Oaks but, although Taghrooda may well be the best we've seen this year, I would be interested in a couple we haven't yet seen, namely, My Titania and Cambridge. Had the former ran in, and won, the 1000Gns, she might well be fav for the Oaks. Still early days.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Still a few to show what they have. I'll now wait until the field has been cut down. Odds check 3/1 best price now for Taghrooda. Doesn't look such good value now with so many to show their hand. Those on early at 20s might do well to lay her off at those odds, effectively getting 16/1 for the fav as a free bet. Now that is what I call value. And that is one of the beauties of shrewd ante post betting.
Whilst there are plenty of Oaks trials still to come and many of the middle-distance bred fillies will not have put a foot on the course yet, Taghrooda really looked the part when winning the Pretty Polly Stakes. I think there is every chance that Mr Gosden will take her to Epsom for a spin rather than go to York, Newbury or Goodwood. It would be amazing if this year’s Epsom Classics were won by Australia son of a Derby winner and an Oaks winner (who won the Pretty Polly Stakes) and if Sea The Stars could notch a first Classic winner with Taghrooda.
I’m really looking forward to CAMBRIDGE making her 3YO debut later on this afternoon. As I said on the Daily Thread a couple of weeks ago there was a rumour that she recently put in an absolutely scintillating gallop and if those reports are even half true then she looks a major player throughout 2014. One filly that I really liked from the Lingers Park Oaks Trial was MOMENTUS who on only her second ever racecourse appearance put up a decent effort to finish third. Green and keen (I’m a racing poet) early on when the penny dropped up the home straight she simply flew home to very good effect and was doing her best work in the closing stages. I’d bet Chuckle Towers on her reversing the form with the front pair next time and think she could even be a contender in the Oaks itself granted normal improvement. Loved the old girl’s effort for one so inexperienced and if connections head to Epsom think she is a lot better than the 100/1 current offered by those bookie chappies. Also very nicely bred being by Montjeu out of a mare who was a Listed and Group 3 winner for Mr O’Brien. If they bypass Epsom the alternative would probably be a maiden (which would be a formality) and then the Ribbisdale at the Royal meeting. Wherever Momentus goes though I think she is one to follow.
Marvellous 10/1 Aidan O'Brien's going to have a VERY good Epsom meeting. Think this filly will be very much involved and a lovely price too. Looking at the subsequent runs of Taghrooda's Newmarket victims I wouldn't be backing her with counterfeit. Looks to me like she beat trees. She's looking more dodgy by the minute...
Shaping up to be much more interesting than the Derby, the two Hamdan fillies look likely to improve for the trip, Taghrooda's dam won the Savel Beg and Tarfasha is a half sister to Galileo Rock and Saddlers Rock. Ihtimal and Marvellous look very good fillies but both have stamina doubts in my opinion and with the race only 12 days away, Marvellous might have had a harder race than ideal in that ground today. Im still hoping that Bracelet and Cambridge turn up but both have disappointing runs to put behind them and Bracelet is far from certain to stay. If the French filly Shamkala comes over she is going to be a major player as well, high class and looks very straight forward, but im hoping she goes for the Prix de Diane.
And the money just keeps coming for MARVELLOUS. She's into a top price of 6/1 now, as short as 4/1 in places. If you fancy her take the 6/1 people. Take it, take it now. Taghrooda is a massive drifter in the market. I'd suspect Aidan's horse may very well be challenging for favouritism come Friday week.
serious money is coming in large for Marvellous please log in to view this image massive drift on on Taghrooda too please log in to view this image
The lads must be on, 8/1 into 6/1 with bookies, ladbrokes running for cover top price, either the lads or the massive 6k on Betfair, that much we know. Has Tagrooda lost a leg? 3.1 to 3.3
