'She is in great form' - who thinks he has a great chance in Lingfield's £100,000 Winter Oaks?

Simon and Ed Crisford snared the previous running of the Winter Oaks with subsequent Listed winner Al Agaila and plenty of these will likely have black-type aspirations down the line, for all the best horse officially in this handicap is rated just 89. 

That is Oh So Grand and she is also trained by the Crisfords. Oh So Grand deserves plenty of credit for her success in the Trial last time and is a worthy favourite from a decent draw in stall three.

She was second last turning for home and made up significant ground in Lingfield’s short straight to get the job done. It was the perfect warm-up for this lucrative prize.

She holds Queen Regent on that form, but the addition of first-time cheekpieces could make things interesting as the runner-up seemed to idle once hitting the front in their recent meeting. Perhaps her challenge will be timed differently this time, although luck will be required as she is berthed in the widest box. 

Oh So Grand’s stablemate Twirling has been drawn ideally in stall one to adopt her usual front-running tactics, but there is little guarantee she will stay this extra two furlongs.

Considering Dayzee edged out Twirling when the pair met in a mile handicap here last month, she is surely being underestimated in the early betting as the rank outsider. 

That distance is sharp enough for Dayzee and she would have appreciated a stronger gallop. If tightening up for her first outing in 162 days, on her second run for the in-form Barry Brennan stable, she can play a hand from stall four.
Analysis by Robbie Wilders

'She seems to have come out of the Trial very well' 

Jack Mitchell, partner of likely favourite Oh So Grand, is adamant the four-year-old is even better than her course-and-distance success in last month’s Winter Oaks Trial Fillies’ Handicap suggests.

Oh So Grand, winner of four of her seven races, quickened smartly near the finish to beat Queen Regent by a length and a quarter, having failed to enjoy the best of runs at an important stage.

“A lot went wrong that day as I was drawn wide and had to get in,” Mitchell told Sky Sports Racing.

“We got racing three furlongs out and I remember David Egan rushed past me on the outside, which took her by surprise. I had to get her back on an even keel so I could have one clear run at them and, to be fair to her, she showed a good turn of foot to hit the line strong.

“She is in great form. I had a sit on her the other day, and she seems to have come out of the Trial very well.”

Oh So Grand is one of two Simon and Ed Crisford-trained fillies in the £100,000 feature, which they landed 12 months ago with 10-11 favourite Al Agaila.

Twirling, the mount of Ryan Moore, steps up in trip, and also looks open to further improvement on just the fifth start of her career.

Simon Crisford added: “Both Oh So Grand and Twirling are in good form and we have been very happy with their preparations for this race. Both of them will need to run career-best figures to feature, but we are hopeful they are capable of doing that.”

What they say

Marcus Tregoning, trainer of Miss Bluebelle
She has come out of her win at Wolverhampton last Saturday very well. She didn’t have too hard a time of it. She found it quite easy and that’s why she’s running back quick. With the very good prize-money on offer, you’ve got to support it. She has gone up 7lb, which makes life harder, but she is a big, scopey mare who should continue to do well through the year. She has always been a good-moving sort, and Lingfield tends to suit that sort. I don’t see the slight step up in trip being an issue, and if she gets placed it’ll be great. Hopefully, they’ll go a decent enough pace. She’s got a good draw, especially coming up to that first bend so quick.

David Redvers, racing manager to Qatar Racing, owners of Queen Regent
She is due to head to America afterwards, and John and Thady [Gosden] were keen to take in this race as it offers so much prize-money. She is spot-on for it.

James Tate, trainer of Behind The Scenes
She ran with real credit chasing black type on her last two starts in Listed races. This is an easier assignment in many ways and, with £100,000 on offer in prize-money, it’s a good spot for her. I think she progressed and ran to above her mark of 87 in her last two races, but the handicapper has left her where she was. We’ll see who is right at Lingfield.
Reporting by Richard Birch

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