By Tom Frary
For many, there was an element of surprise in the failure of Chester sensation Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to conquer her Oaks rivals and Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks offers the opportunity for the Ballydoyle starlet to put herself back in the spotlight.
Streaking up the short Roodeye straight to wrap up a 22-length annihilation of the Listed Cheshire Oaks on a dour day at the May Festival, the daughter of Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy) appeared lost in the more familiar summer sun as she floundered at Epsom three weeks later.
Still second there despite her travails getting the better of Caernarfon (GB) (Cityscape {GB}) as Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) proved more fleet of foot on the quicker surface, Savethelastdance has been ensconced at Rosegreen while her stablemate and fellow Galileo flagbearer Warm Heart (Ire) has entered the elite. Despite the latter beating all the right fillies in Newbury's Listed Haras de Bouquetot Fillies' Trial S. and Royal Ascot's G2 Ribblesdale S., Ryan Moore just can't get off the one who looked so extraordinary in the Cheshire Oaks.
“Obviously the two of them don't work together, so it's going to be interesting,” O'Brien said. “There's not much between them on the ratings, Savethelastdance is just a little higher. We always thought the Curragh would suit her better and the ground was quick enough in Epsom for her, so she'll probably prefer a bit more of an ease on Saturday.”
Oh my! Savethelastdance looks a proper one in the Cheshire Oaks for Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien 🤯 @ChesterRaces pic.twitter.com/3bZFQng84Y
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 10, 2023
More To Come From Bluestocking
Despite coming up short behind Warm Heart at both Newbury and Ascot, there is scope for Juddmonte's TDN Rising Star Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) to get much closer here having been too far back in the Ribblesdale. Trainer Ralph Beckett is confident she is still on an upward curve and this easier ground and the guarantee of a strong pace will play to her strengths. “On the formbook she has to improve, but she's a lightly-raced filly with only three runs so we feel that there could be some progression there,” Juddmonte's European bloodstock manager Barry Mahon said. “She's met Warm Heart twice and been beaten twice so she has a bit to find, but she's in good form, we feel that she's learning on the job and we're hopeful of a good run.”
“We saw how green she was at Newbury and Frankie felt she was green at Ascot. She got stuck on the rail and when the gap came, she didn't really know what to do to get through it, but then picked up and finished off well. We hope she'll be a bit more streetwise on Saturday, the track should suit her, it's not a big field and a bit easier ground should suit as well.”
Al Asifah well-beaten! Warm Heart powers clear to win the Ribblesdale for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore at #RoyalAscot! @Ascot pic.twitter.com/daPyBrdOny
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 22, 2023
Azazat Another Improver
If there is one non-Ballydoyle Irish contender in the line-up capable of bridging the gap, it could be The Aga Khan's Azazat (Ire), another daughter of Camelot who has already been up against the older fillies and mares. Runner-up to the solid yardstick Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in Cork's G3 Munster Oaks last month, the Dermot Weld trainee has come a long way since her Leopardstown maiden third to Savethelastdance in April. “She has handled slow ground and she stays quite well,” Chris Hayes said. “She is bred to possibly get further and I'm looking forward to her. She is very straightforward to ride, uncomplicated. That form with Rosscarbery was a good run. I think she has come forward for that run and hopefully she can put up a good performance.”
Sapphire Heads Supporting Action
The Curragh also features the five-furlong G2 Barberstown Castle Sapphire S., where Art Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) bids to extend his unbeaten record in Ireland taking on the impressive Listed Sole Power Sprint S. winner Ladies Church (GB) (Churchill {Ire}). The G3 Jebel Ali Racecourse and Stables Anglesey S. sees the Listed Chesham S. runner-up Pearls And Rubies (No Nay Never) take on the colts for what would be a remarkable 13th renewal for Aidan O'Brien, bringing him equal to the record of the late Dr. Vincent O'Brien. Also from Ballydoyle is the G1 Gold Cup fourth Emily Dickinson (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G2 Comer Group International Curragh Cup, where she encounters the aforementioned Rosscarbery. At Newbury, last year's G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) looks to get back on track in the G3 Hackwood S. At Newmarket, one to watch is Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's unbeaten Truthful (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) as she tackles the Listed Ric And Mary Hambro Aphrodite Fillies' S.
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