Paul Kealy assesses the Lingfield Oaks Trial as John Gosden runs three
Betsafe Top Price All Runners Oaks Trial Fillies' Stakes (Listed) | 3yo fillies | 1m3½f | ITV4/SSR
According to the market John Gosden's Frankly Darling, a deeply impressive Newcastle winner this week, is his best chance of landing the Investec Oaks, but he took the Epsom Classic with second string Anapurna, who won this race, last year and boasts a third of this nine-runner field.
Although a best-priced 40-1 for the Oaks (Frankly Darling is 14-1 in a wide-open market), Gosden's Miss Yoda is set to be a warm order as she, like the rest of the field, steps up to just short of the Oaks trip for the first time.
She won her first two over a mile last term and it wasn't stamina that beat her when she went down by three lengths to Max Vega in a heavy-ground Zetland Stakes at Newmarket on her final start.
Gosden said last term he saw her as a Ribblesdale type, but that comes before the Oaks this term and she could presumably take in both.
Godolphin's Lake Lucerne is the Gosden second string, although there is surely plenty of guesswork involved as it's only three months since she recorded an RPR of just 78 when battling home at Chelmsford.
Given different connections she'd be five times the price, so it will be interesting to see how she goes in the market.
Ralph Beckett's 2008 Oaks winner Look Here finished second in this and he has won it three times. His Heart Reef is by Derby-winner Australia, but she was keen and green on both runs last term, running far too free on heavy ground in November, and will need to have grown up a fair bit.
Sweet Solera winner West End Girl boasts some of the best form, but beat only one rival on her final two starts, so has a bit to prove.
What they say
John Gosden, trainer of Miss Yoda, Lake Lucerne & Anastarsia
We'll see how we get on before we make any calls about Epsom but it's a race we like and looks a good opportunity for all three to get black type. Miss Yoda was placed at Group 3 level last year and has been pleasing in her preparation, as have the other two.
Alan Spence, co-owner of West End Girl
Originally we were going to run over a mile but in her work she's looked like she might need a little further. We're winging it a little bit as on the dam side she's not bred to get this far, so we're hoping to get an answer one way or the other.
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Published on 4 June 2020inPreviews
Last updated 18:42, 4 June 2020
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