Hello & welcome along to the first of my blogs for a Classic weekend on Epsom's historic downs, first up is the second fillies Classic the Oaks on Friday afternoon which this year looks much hotter than the following days colts Classic.
Al Naamah is beautifully bred filly who has had a mountain to climb ever since she sold for £5 million guineas at Tattersalls Book 1 in 2013, racing just 3 times so far she won comfortably on her debut at Chantilly last June & was pitched into pattern company on her 2nd start she was bitterly disappointing finishing a well beaten last.
Clearly she has had issues as she was put away after that run & only reappeared in May this year when only just losing out in a pulsating finish to another promising filly.
As a full sister to 50/1 2012 Oaks winner Was stamina is clearly no issue so with the benefit of a run under her belt she is clearly one of the more interesting bigger priced runners as her master trainer Mr Fabre does not usually send over runners to the UK if they are not expected to perform to a decent standard.
As a full sister to 50/1 2012 Oaks winner Was stamina is clearly no issue so with the benefit of a run under her belt she is clearly one of the more interesting bigger priced runners as her master trainer Mr Fabre does not usually send over runners to the UK if they are not expected to perform to a decent standard.
Bellajeu is maiden after 4 runs hailing from the dual Oaks winning stable of Ralph Beckett, she bids to defy a stat that is 32 years in the making to become the first maiden to win the Oaks since the classy Sun Princess in 1983. She finished a decent 2nd in a very poor Lingfield Oaks Trial last time out after previously being beaten in 3 maidens.
Stamina will be no issue as she is related to hurdles winner Chocala & comes from the family of Overturn. Flying far too high here though & she will do well to finish any better than last.
Crystal Zvezda is a wonderfully formed chestnut filly of real substance who really caught the eye in the pre parade on her racecourse debut at Newbury in September last year.
She was very green in the race on soft ground but really got the hang of it late on finishing well behind the runaway winner & duly won next time with real authority at Lingfield showing that she is a well balanced filly which is a huge plus for Epsom.
In those 2 runs was that she showed enough to suggest that she would make a classy 3 year old & at Newbury on Lockinge day she reappeared in a race that has developed into an excellent trial for Epsom in recent years producing 2 winners in the last 10 years (Eswarah 2005 & Dancing Rain 2011), clearly having blossomed over the winter she travelled like a dream throughout the race before unleashing a powerful finishing kick to quicken away from a no more than useful field for the grade but it was the manner of the victory that left the lasting impression that she would hold outstanding claims at Epsom.
From a tremendous family she is a half sister to Group 1 winner Hillstar & dual Pride Stakes Group 2 winner Crystal Capella (now Fillies & Mares Champion Stakes on
Champions Day) both stayed 12f with no problem, whereas both her half siblings were
perhaps not superstars Crystal Zvezda is a daughter of the outstanding sire Dubawi so she has every chance of being the best of what is already a cracking family. Richard Hughes has ridden her in work recently as cover for Ryan Moore who now riding Coolmore's number 1 hope Legatissimo.
Diamondsandrubies is one of 4 runners for 4 time Oaks winning trainer Aidan O'Brien, she improved from a useful run in what has turned out to be a hot Navan Listed race back in April finishing behind Bocca Baciata (5th Irish 1000 Guineas Group 1) & Pleascach (Won Irish 1000 Guineas Group 1) where she was marginally interefered with.
Appearing next time in the Cheshire Oaks she bolted up from an extremely poor field over just shy of 12 furlongs on ground that was softening.
A daughter of Quarter Moon herself a dual Oaks 2nd who in top company despite her stout breeding did not quite get home well enough over the Classic distance, Diamondsandrubies is the best of her progeny who so far have all failed to go on from initial promise which is a concern. Her sire Fastnet Rock a Champion Australian sprinter has a poor record with winners at 12 furlongs or further with just 2 winners in Europe to
date & even less in Australia, so far his 2 winners at 12f have been rated just 85 & 79 so
despite Diamondsandrubies having basically won at almost 12 furlongs save half a furlong at Chester I would have grave concerns of her lasting home around a stouter track like Epsom, for me she didn't need to stay at Chester as the race was so poor.
Jack Naylor had a busy but productive 2 year old campaign winning 3 times & finishing a fine 3rd in the Marcel Boussac, the form of her Listed win could not have worked out better with the 3rd Together Forever going on to win the Group 1 Fillies Mile & the 2nd Legatissimo winning the 1000 Guineas Group 1 earlier this year.
She reappeared with a hugely promising fast finishing 4th in the Irish 1000 Guineas a few weeks ago but perhaps the reaction to that run has been slightly overdone as she was ridden to finish in a strongly run race so she may well be flattered as her 2 year old form entitled her to finish as close as she did so has she actually progressed?
By the far the best progeny that her dam has produced stamina should be no issue as all her relatives stay well, she is also from the family of Champion US racemare Wandesta.
Clearly has a chance on ratings alone but I do wonder if she is quite classy enough to win an Oaks.
Jazzi Top is well made filly who has won her 2 starts this season in the style of a honest progressive filly, the last of those wins came in the Pretty Polly at Newmarket a race which has a rich history of producing Oaks winners including the last 2 years running (4 in total; Taghrooda 2014, Talent 2013, Ouija Board 2004 & Dunfermline 1977) plus several placed runners at Epsom.
She is a half sister to dual Group 1 winner Izzi Top who herself was non staying 3rd in the Oaks. Her dam Zee Zee Top also a Group 1 winning racemare who improved with racing but again she stayed no further than 10 furlongs.
The fact that Jazzi Top's dam failed to stay & neither did her half sister is concerning as there is plenty of stamina further back in the pedigree from her 2nd dam Irish Oaks winner Colorspin; dam of dual Ascot Gold Cup winner Kayf Tara & triple Group 1 winner Opera House King George, Coronation Cup & Eclipse.
But Jazzi Top might well have a much better chance of lasting at Epsom being a daughter of Danehill Dancer who has already 1 Oaks winner in Dancing Rain to his name & he gets plenty of useful 12 furlong winners. The addition of Frankie Dettori in the saddle is another tick in the right box for this likeable filly.
Lady Of Dubai came into Oaks contention with a dominant display in the Height of Fashion Stakes (Lupe to those of us over 30), the race as a whole was poor & on a line through Loaves And Fishes she cannot beat Diamondsandrubies but I doubt that will pan out as the form book would have you believe. She has a generally progressive profile & will stay the trip fine as her 2nd dam is 12f Group 3 winner Head In The Clouds who is a
full sister to St Leger & multiple Cup winner Millenary.
Whether she truly has the class to win an Oaks is open to question but she is a contender for the a top 5 finish at least.
1000 Guineas winner Legatissimo bids to win her 2nd Classic of the campaign as she steps up in trip to a distance connections believe will suit, she had quite an odd profile for a Guineas winner having looked no more than ok at 2 she was then beaten quite comfortably on her first start of the year in a Group 3 at Leopardstown before accounting
for a maiden, a couple of poor older mares & a hugely disappointing odds on favourite in a 9.5f Listed race at Gowran Park before her flying finish in a fast run 1000 Guineas under a strong Ryan Moore drive to collar Lucida late on, for me she really benefitted from the strong pace & the rest of field either failing to stay or just not being anywhere near good enough so I have a feeling she was distinctly flattered by that victory.
Her dam Yummy Mummy was no more than average on the course but is a full sister to Ascot Gold Cup winner Fame And Glory, Legatissimo has 2 half brothers to date the
stamina laden Another Cocktail & the extremely slow Royal Battalion.
Stamina looks likely to be her forte so as a filly who has already won a Classic she does appear to hold sound claims but as I have already stated I have massive doubts as to the legitimacy of her Guineas win so I would be very happy to take her on.
Qualify is a thoroughly exposed Ballydoyle runner who has been beaten miles in both Guineas, she does not appeal or shape as a stayer so I cannot see the dramatic step up in trip making the slightest difference on what she has shown so far.
For the sake of fairness there is some hope as her dam Perihelion was a slow mare who did manage a 2nd place in a Park Hill at 66/1 2008 & won a maiden at Bellewstown over 12.5f also further back in the pedigree she is from the family of useful hurdler Callisto Moon & St Leger winner Brian Boru.
Star Of Seville has won her last 3 starts including a battling success in the Musidora (6 winners gone on to win the Oaks since 1961) at York last time so why is she such a big price & drifting??
Perhaps Frankie jumping ship to the other Gosden contender has played a part but in truth she just seems to have had plenty of negative vibes & she is quite small filly who may not have much left to offer, her maiden victory late last year was hugely impressive but that race has not worked out at all the ground was also on the soft side which she appeared to relish (so the recent rain at Epsom should benefit her).
A comfortable reappearance win over the boys in a conditions event at Newbury was decent on much faster ground although again that form is looking suspect. She went off a strong fav for the Musidora & showed real battling qualities after making all to hold of the strong challenge of Togther Forever.
She has shown she stays 10f well but the stamina for a full 12f is slightly suspect with all the female side getting no further than 10f at a low level & there are plenty of sprinters in the pedigree as well. Her sire Duke Of Marmalade should provide that missing stamina as his stock like him stay very well at distances up to 2 miles.
She is not flashy but gets the job done & knows how to battle, William Buick looks set to be reunited with her & he could have come in for a very decent spare ride.
Together Forever is the 2nd Group 1 winner in the field courtesy of her Fillies Mile win late last year. She took plenty of time to get her act together at 2 but once she had got her head in front she quickly blossomed.
Her reappearance run behind Star Of Seville was perfectly satisfactory after a long layoff but personally I was disappointed she couldn't go past John Gosden's filly as she came with what looked like a winning run but appeared to duck in, of course she could well of needed that as most O'Brien runners do so there could easily be plenty more to come but for me I would doubt that she has much more improvement left as she is quite a small filly who has not grown much over the winter & an even bigger issue would appear to be stamina as her half brother Lord Shanakill just about stayed 9f while further back in the pedigree it's all about milers.
Excellent renewal of the second fillies Classic in which there are several in with decent chances of getting involved but I truly believe there is one exceptional filly in the lineup & that filly is Crystal Zvezda 7/2;
1st) Crystal Zvezda
2nd) Star Of Seville
3rd) Lady Of Dubai
@fttfracing
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