Cubanita only ninth as Cherry collects Oaks
Report: Italy, Saturday
San Siro: Premio Oaks D'Italia - Trofeo SNAI (Group 2) 1m3f, turf, 3yo fillies
Cherry Collect (Stefano Botti/Fabio Branca) supplemented her victory in the Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1,000 Guineas) with an impressive performance, defeating 12 other fillies to land the lion's share of the €330,000 prize. The Ralph Beckett-trained Cubanita could finish only ninth, tiring after racing prominently for much on the journey.
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The winner - who appeared to relish the step up to a mile and three furlongs after racing exclusively over a mile to date - ran on strongly to pick it up inside the distance, before stretching clear of stablemate Angegreen close home to record a one-and-a-half-length success, with Rosa Eglanteria a further head back in third.
The hard luck story of the race came in the shape of the fourth placed Bay Vatoria, who was keeping on stoutly and far from done with when hampered and stumbling badly when going for a gap between rivals just inside the final furlong.
Whilst this realistically cost her any chance of victory, she still rallied to hold fourth and was going on again at the finish. She may not of beaten the winner, but would certainly have given her more to think about with a clear run.
Favourite Wilddrossel - whose stock has risen in the last week, as her third to Black Arrow in a Hanover Listed race last month was seen in a different light when runner-up Feuerblitz won last week's Derby Italiano - proved very one-paced under pressure and could only plug on to finish sixth, two places ahead of fellow German-trained runner Rock My Heart.
Also on Saturday
San Siro: Premio Carlo Vittadini (Group 2) 1m, turf, 3yo+, 2.30pm BST
Vedelago (Luigi Polito/Mario Esposito) proved too strong for favourite Alianthus, coming home one-and-a-quarter lengths clear of his German-trained market rival, with Principe Adepto a further three-quarters-of-a-length away in third.
The son of Red Clubs lost out in a ding dong finish to the Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas) last time out, but there was no such drama here, as he moved nicely through the race, running on to lead just inside the final furlong before showing his older rival a clean pair of heels close home.
The success was the three-year-old colts first at Group 2 level and netted connections the winning percentage of a prize fund of €104,500, as well as dreams of better days ahead.
Alianthus proved a major disappointment to those who backed him into odds on, but they can have no excuses as he was well positioned throughout, just lacking the pace of the winner - to whom he was conceding plenty of weight -when it mattered.
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