Why Aidan O'Brien's latest Classic trial favourite Whirl could be vulnerable in an open Musidora

This doesn’t look like a strong Musidora and just three of the six runners hold an entry in the Oaks at Epsom. However, there is only one place to start given it’s a Classic trial and that is with Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore, who have dominated such races in the last week.

Cheshire Oaks victory with Minnie Hauk was followed by Giselle’s win in the Lingfield Oaks Trial and Garden Of Eden's success the same day at Naas, so can Whirl follow suit?

She is the most exposed runner in the field after five starts and doesn’t set the standard either. She is 1lb behind Smoken and 2lb inferior to Miss Tonnerre on Racing Post Ratings, although the BHA have Whirl as their joint-highest-rated on 99 alongside Miss Tonnerre.

Whirl shaped like she needed further than a mile when only sixth on her seasonal reappearance at the Curragh last month and her chance rests on improvement for this trip.

Whirl (left): Group 3 winner showed strong form as a juvenileCredit: Patrick McCann

However, she isn’t the only one who could progress for a stiffer test. Smoken’s dam won the Pinnacle Stakes over a mile and a half at Haydock and that gives hope the Ralph Beckett-trained filly will get this far, even with her sire being the miler Too Darn Hot.

Beckett’s runners have largely come up short against the Ballydoyle battalions in trials in the last week, but most of them were colts and there aren’t any better trainers of a filly than him.

John Gosden might have something to say about that, though. He has saddled eight winners of this race, either on his own or in partnership with son Thady, and runs Go Go Boots. She comes into it unbeaten in two all-weather starts and, like Whirl and Smoken, has an Oaks entry. 

Gosden often runs one of his best in this race and Go Go Boots may be another top-class filly.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

Whirl bids to become latest Classic trial winner for Ballydoyle

While it was Godolphin that flourished on the first weekend in May with its remarkable transatlantic Classic quadruple, Coolmore have hogged the headlines in the days since.

Classic trials at Chester, Lingfield, Naas and Leopardstown were gobbled up by Aidan O’Brien’s stars and Henri Matisse secured the trainer a first Classic of the year when landing the Poule d’Essai des Poulains.

We will get to see the biggest of O’Brien’s Classic contenders on Thursday when ante-post Derby favourite The Lion In Winter goes for the Dante Stakes. 

That is a race O’Brien has won four times, whereas he has won the Musidora only once. As such, a victory for Whirl would not only boost her Betfred Oaks hopes but act as a further signal of the sheer Classic strength-in-depth at Ballydoyle.

O’Brien’s Musidora winner was Snowfall, the unprepossessing two-year-old who turned herself inside out over the winter to win at York before a record-breaking 16-length success in the Oaks and subsequent triumphs in the Irish and Yorkshire Oaks.

Snowfall: Aidan O'Brien's only Musidora winnerCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Whirl carries better juvenile form into the Musidora than Snowfall, but was soundly beaten on her comeback. However, O’Brien said: “We had to give her time to get over her run at the Curragh and then decide where we wanted to go, and the Musidora looked the perfect race if she was going to be an Oaks filly. 

“We always thought she wanted much further than a mile – we always thought she would stay.”

What they say

Thady Gosden, joint-trainer of Go Go Boots
Go Go Boots won well at Lingfield on her reappearance over this trip and has been in good order at home since. This is a step up in class and her first race on turf, but we're happy with her going into the race.

Ed Walker, trainer of Miss Tonnerre
I've been waiting patiently to run her, and she's training very well now and looks great. She ran a huge race when fourth to Desert Flower in the May Hill at Doncaster, has done really well from two to three and promises to benefit hugely from this step up in trip. She doesn't have black type yet, so the most important thing is she finishes in the first three and we'll go on from there.

Andrew Balding, trainer of Serenity Prayer
She’s a beautifully bred filly and we were delighted with her when she made a winning start. She’s entitled to improve on that form, but she’ll need to do so in a much stronger race. We’ve been very happy with her and I’m hoping she can run really well.

Ralph Beckett, trainer of Smoken
Smoken has trained well this spring, she’s ready to go and we’re looking forward to getting her started. She should improve from the run.

Read the rest of Wednesday's previews:

2.10 York: Four-year-olds look to have the call again - analysis and trainer quotes for competitive York handicap 

2.42 York: Richard Spencer books Ryan Moore as Two Tribes goes to war on the Knavesmire in intriguing sprint handicap 

3.13 York: 'He can develop into a Group 1 horse' - Karl Burke holds strong hand as new jockey bids to rekindle Inisherin's fire 

The Ballydoyle monopoly looks almost impossible to stop - but Oaks trial could provide hope for home guard 

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