Gosden holds the key to rescheduled fillies' test despite absence of Franconia

2.40 York
Tattersalls Musidora Stakes | Group 3 | 1m2½f, 3yo fillies | ITV4/RTV

The shape of this year's Musidora Stakes changed significantly from declaration time on Tuesday. Jockey bookings went against short-priced ante-post favourite Franconia and she duly drifted before being pulled out on Wednesday morning owing to a bad scope.

The hand that her owner and trainer hold remains a strong one. John Gosden has won five of the last ten runnings of the Musidora and Franconia's place at the top of the market has been taken by Ricetta.

She has been hot-housed to get to this race, winning twice last month, and she still looked a little green on the second occasion. Four of Gosden's five recent winners of the Musidora also had just two previous starts to their name, although whether that is still fully relevant is moot given the race is being run two months later than usual.

Gosden also runs Lake Lucerne, who has not been seen since March. More interesting is Juddmonte's apparent second string, the Roger Charlton-trained Pocket Square. She is also a typical May Musidora runner having shown smart form over a mile as a juvenile, beating Run Wild in a Group 3 at Deauville in October.

That form is actually above average for a Musidora winner, but again there are a couple of caveats. In the broader sense, purely on the weight-for-age scale three-year-olds over 1m2f are expected to improve by 4-5lb in the time between the race's usual slot in mid-May and today.

Specific to Pocket Square, fitness also comes into it. With the Oaks already in the rearview mirror, it is not immediately clear where she needs to be in terms of readiness for this return. An impressive winner of this race might be aimed at the Irish Oaks or the Yorkshire equivalent back here next month, but both would command a higher tariff than going from the Musidora to the Oaks in a normal year.
Analysis by betting editor Keith Melrose

John Gosden: has dominated this race of lateCredit: Edward Whitaker

'I switched Frankie on to Ricetta who has shaped as if this trip would suit'

John Gosden believes a first try at more than a mile will suit the unbeaten Ricetta, who leads the trainer's two-pronged assault on a race he was won five times in the last nine years.

Frankie Dettori rides the daughter of Camelot for the second time having been on board when she was successful on her debut at Newmarket last month.

Dettori was originally due to ride stablemate Franconia, but the champion trainer explained on Wednesday: "I scoped Franconia on Tuesday morning after she gave a cough at exercise and we got the results back this morning which showed she had a mucus issue so we had to take her out.

"I switched Frankie on to Ricetta yesterday when I thought it was unlikely that Franconia could run. He now rides Ricetta, who is unbeaten in two starts at Newmarket, most recently when defying a penalty over a mile when she shaped as if this trip would suit her."

The Fugue and Shutter Speed have been among the Musidora winners this decade for Gosden, who also relies on the Godolphin-owned Lake Lucerne, a winner at Chelmsford on her last start in March.

Gosden said of James Doyle's mount: "She got upset in the gate at Lingfield last time and couldn't run. Hopefully she's over that and she can pick up some black type."

What they say

William Haggas, trainer of Baarrij
She won well at Windsor but this is a massive step up. Hopefully she can get some black type.

Saeed bin Suroor, trainer Of Dubai Love
Dubai Love ran another good race at Royal Ascot. She has done well since and worked nicely on the watered gallop a few days ago. We did have her in the Investec Oaks but I think this trip will suit and I am hoping for a good result again.

Roger Charlton, trainer Of Pocket Square
She had a couple of setbacks earlier in the year and it's only just recently that we've got her back into full work. We're hoping she'll run well but she should improve for the race.

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