2009 Investec Oaks preview

Filed on 2 Jun 2009 @ 10:43

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2009 INVESTEC OAKS (GROUP 1) (FILLIES) (CLASS 1) (Three-Year-Olds)

Epsom, Friday 5 June 2009. One Mile Four Furlongs and ten yards.

Horse Rating	Comments

Rainbow View 114	Rainbow View ended last season undefeated and second FSF top-rated filly two-year-old filly in Europe behind Naaqoos. Following reports of excellent work on the gallops, allied to her form in the book, she was sent off 8/11 favourite for the 1000 Guineas. However, she was beaten fully two-furlongs from home before running on well up the hill in the final furlong. John Gosden commented after the race, “Rainbow View has trained on all right. She hated the ground and Jimmy knew he was in trouble four-furlongs out. She won her maiden on good to firm but that was genuine good to firm and this was considerably faster. That is the way it is, there is nothing you can do about the ground. We will probably take her to the Oaks as the ground will be suitable at Epsom and we could just train her for that. She outstayed Fantasia on good to soft ground on the stiff mile at Ascot and I don't think there will be a problem staying a mile and a half. She is by Dynaformer”. One cannot argue with her stamina as her dam has thrown a mile and a half Grade Three winner in the U.S.A. this season. If we view the Guineas purely as a warm up race, then a staying on fifth from a filly with plenty of stamina, is a satisfactory trial. However, one cannot get away from the fact she was ultimately disappointing; there has to be the chance she may not be capable of reproducing her juvenile form. In addition, like the majority of the three year-olds racing at Epsom this week, she will need to prove her effectiveness on an undulating track. As a guide to the FSF ratings, last seasons heroine Look Here, achieved a figure of 120 in this race.
Sariska 109	Sariska is a half-sister to the useful stayer Gull Wing, also trained by Michael during her racing career. Bred out of Pivotal, Sariska is entitled to be more effective around the ten-furlong mark. Sariska made her debut in a seven-furlong maiden, run on good to soft ground at Newmarket in November. Slowly into stride, she was held up in midfield on the rails until two furlongs from home. Making good headway a furlong and a half from home, the Red Sea parted for her and she soon led, running on well close home. The fourth and sixth subsequently won, suggesting the form is decent and she has developed into a grand looking filly over the winter. Her return in the seven-furlong Fred Darling was somewhat surprising given she looked likely to need ten-furlongs this season. She ran as expected, making late headway having had a far from clear run. Stepped up to ten-furlongs in the Musidora, Sariska came through in the home straight and quickened away from her rivals in the last furlong. The time was disappointing as the race developed into something of a sprint over the final three-furlongs. Both High Heeled (ground) and Enticement (ground, still green and first run of the season) performed below expectations. This left the once-raced Star Ruby to provide the biggest threat to Sariska. Once Sariska got to Star Ruby, she had to be ridden vigorously to go clear in the final half-furlong. Overall, I formed the opinion this was no more than an average renewal and her FSF rating is 1lb below Kite Wood who is 33/1 for the Derby as I write.
Oh Goodness Me 108	This filly will not fail through lack of experience. Placed in Listed company in 2008, she won a Group Three before finishing third in the Group One Irish 1000 Guineas this season. Oh Goodness Me’s breeding suggests the mile and a half will not be a problem and this powerfully built filly has place claims if she handles the track.
Midday 107	Following a satisfactory first season, Midday reappeared at Epsom in April finishing second to Debussy in the Blue Riband Trial Stakes. Her work at home improved subsequently and she was she was dispatched to Lingfield Park for the Oaks Trial. Always going well and handling the undulations, she left her rivals for dead with an excellent turn of foot. One can argue that the final half-mile turned into something of a sprint and there has to be a slight concern whether she will stay a truly run mile and a half. Her dam stayed a mile and half; however, her sire Oasis Dream is yet to get a Group winner over further than one-mile. Visually, she left the impression at Lingfield Park that she would get the trip and she is very much a filly on the up. Her final piece of work on the Newmarket gallops delighted Henry, as she moved effortlessly clear of her galloping companions including Listed winning filly Apple Charlotte. Henry reported, “She worked very nicely and quickened up well”. His record with fillies is legendary and she possesses a serious chance of becoming his ninth Oaks winner.
Perfect Truth 107	Perfect Truth broke her maiden status with a fine performance in the Cheshire Oaks at Chester. Johnny Murtagh made sure there was no hanging about and the time was above average. The step up in trip has been the making of her; we have seen many times before, an O’Brien horse making significant progress throughout their second season. One would imagine she will be unable to repeat such aggressive tactics at Epsom, as she was coming to the end of her tether at Chester. Nevertheless, she will ensure the race is a true test of stamina, without perhaps possessing the turn of foot to land the spoils.
Phillipina 107	Following two fair runs in maidens, Phillipina finally showed the form that had been evident on the gallops. With two-furlongs to go in the Cheshire Oaks she was six or seven lengths off the leader Perfect Truth. At that point, she was two lengths behind the eventual third; however, her late surge carried her a length and three-quarters clear of that rival and a short-head behind Perfect Truth. Her dam stayed a mile and a half, while her sire has had a Group One Oaks winner in the shape of Almerita, winner of the German version in 2006. Having made huge progress from her first outing of the season, similar improvement will see her in the shake-up.
Nashmiah 104	Listed Class filly who will struggle to stay further than ten-furlongs.
High Heeled 102	Returned to action with a fluent success in a Conditions Stakes at Newbury. The collateral form suggests she could be a Group Three filly, but she may need some cut in the ground to show her best. This was confirmed by her disappointing effort on faster ground at York; her breeding suggest ten-furlongs may be her optimum trip.
Three Moons 100	Consistent filly and finally got off the mark at Folkestone in April. She ran well enough behind Take The Hint in the Pretty Polly at Newmarket, though her overall form suggests she will struggle in Group company.

Filed on 2 Jun 2009 @ 10:43

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