This registered Oaks trial has not had much bearing on the outcome of the Classic over the past ten years, even though most winners of this have gone on to start as the favourite at Epsom. Last year's Musidora winner Lush Lashes was beaten nine lengths by Look Here in the big race but still went on to have a fruitful season, so even if the winner of this year's renewal does not gain Oaks glory in June she should still prove to be top-class come the end of the season. This year's contest is very intriguing and contains four unexposed fillies who could feature at Epsom, most notably Enticement, who is making her seasonal debut, and Sariska, who needs to prove she stays this trip.
Enticement is a really interesting runner for Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore. She was a very expensive purchase at 310,000 guineas but connections believe it could be money spent if she able to prove herself up to Group class over middle-distances. She made her debut late on in her two-year-old season and won on her first start in good style, where she was forced to dig deep when still showing signs of immaturity. She then went on to win the Montrose Stakes at Newmarket against more experienced rivals and it is this race which looks good form. She beat subsequent 1,000 Guineas third Super Sleuth a short-head that day and had recent Lingfield Oaks Trail winner Midday back in fourth. The Queen-owned filly looks likely to come into her own over middle-distances given time and this step up to 1m 2f will determine whether she goes for the Oaks or not. Her trainer is confident she will be able to get the trip and rates her as a top prospect. This daughter of Montjeu ought to find this surface to her liking, even though it is the quickest she has encountered so far in her career. If she is fit for her seasonal re-appearance then Enticement may further enhance her trainer's fine record in this race and find herself at the head of the Oaks market come 2:45.
Sariska looks the chief danger to Enticement and could play a part if she gets the trip well enough. She has had two races to date and they have both come over 7f, so this step up in trip is an unknown, even she is bred to get this far and connections believe she will stay. She made a very taking impression when winning on her debut at Newmarket last season and trainer Michael Bell believed she could have made up into a Guineas filly this season, but that idea was scrapped soon after her run in the Fred Darling. Her performance in the Newbury Classic Trial was good, considering she missed the break badly, made up ground down the middle of track and found herself hampered when staying on towards the finish. She eventually finished fourth but jockey Jamie Spencer was adamant that without the bad luck in running she would have finished a close-up third, only two lengths behind the winner. Both her starts have come on a soft surface so this quick ground may pose a problem. However, she is certainly a classy individual and if she stays the trip, she could turn up at Epsom in June with a sound chance.
High Heeled poses a live threat seeing as she has no worries about getting the trip, however; the worry is the that the ground may be too firm for her. She has appreciated the step up in trip this season and seems to be progressing with every run. Her debut run was very good, where she finished six lengths behind the top-class Rainbow View, and her other performances at two showed that she was improving. Trainer Barry Hills had no worries about entering her against the colts in a Conditions Stakes race at Newbury at their Greenham meeting and his faith was rewarded as she galloped to a ready success. She raced out wide throughout and stayed on well down the outside under Michael Hills to beat Four Winds, who was being touted as a potential Derby sort before the race, and Father Time, a useful colt of Henry Cecil's who finished a neck behind Age Of Aquarius in Saturday's Lingfield Derby Trial. She looks a good prospect and will appreciate a strong pace, however; connections will not run her if they deem the ground to be to quick.
Star Ruby is a once-raced filly from Peter Chapple-Hyam's yard who could feature if she has improved for her debut success. She was well fancied for that run at Sandown over 1m 2f, where she beat Hidden Brief by two lengths and the pair in turn pulled eight clear of the remainder. Hidden Brief went on to race in Cheshire Oaks last week but did not take to the tight track at Chester and finished well down the field. Star Ruby will appreciate this quicker surface and connections believe she could be a nice filly in the making, even though she would have to be supplemented for the Oaks if she were to put up a good show here. Owned by Michael Tabor, she may well make the running considering she has no stamina doubts and Alan Munro will be keen to make it a test for the other fillies in the line-up. If she has come on for her first run, she may well trouble the top three in the betting.
Selections: 1st - Enticement, 2nd - Star Ruby 3rd - Sariska.
Result: 1st - Sariska, 3/1, 2nd - Star Ruby, 100/30, 3rd - Enticement, 7/4 fav.
Sariska put in a top-class performance and she galloped on relentlessly up the straight to win by a three and half lengths. Connections were confident before the race that this daughter of Pivotal would stay the 1m 2f trip and she now looks worthy of her place in the Oaks line-up, where she is now a general 9/2 favourite. Always settled nicely under Jamie Spencer, she began to make her move rounding the bend and moved upsides leader Star Ruby and began to stay on the strongest, before powering away in the final furlong. She has to buck the trend laid before her; that being the failures of so many Musidora winners who have gone on to struggle in the fillies' Classic, but Michael Bell's filly looks sure to give it her best shot. Star Ruby improved enormously on her debut win and ran a superb race in second, finishing three lengths clear of third, Enticement. Alan Munro had his mount in the front rank throughout and took over from Pacattack entering the final three furlongs. She found only Sariska too good and looks set to have a solid season. Enticement was all the rage before the race but lacked a run this season. She failed to pick up in the straight and according to her trainer, she did not take to the quicker ground as they would have hoped. She is a classy performer and may still go for the Oaks, where she will be better for the run.
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