6th-Lingfield, £100,000, Hcp, 1-21, 4yo/up, f/m, 10f (AWT), 2:05.12, st.
AL AGAILA (IRE) (f, 4, Lope De Vega {Ire}–L'Amour de Ma Vie {GSW-UAE, SW-Fr, GSP-Eng, $322,632}, by Dansili {GB}), sent off the 10-11 favourite for this Winter Oaks having won the course-and-distance Winter Oaks Trial with ease last month, tracked the leading trio throughout the early stages. Earning the advantage approaching the furlong pole, the bay held on to score by a head from Morgan Fairy (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Simon Crisford said, “It was a tactical race and she would have benefitted from a stronger pace, as I think a real strong gallop will see her to better effect. Throughout the summer, she started growing and we had to give her some time, but she is doing very well now. We will speak to her owner Sheikh Khalid [bin Hamad Al Khalifa] and see if he is interested in coming back here for the [Feb. 25 G3] Winter Derby. We will be running against Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) and Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), so it will be like the [G1 King George all over again! Entries for Dubai World Cup Night close on Monday and she will certainly get an entry for the [G1] Dubai Turf.” The winner is the sole runner from two foals of racing age so far out of the dam, who captured the G2 Balanchine and was runner-up in the G2 Duke of Cambridge S. and G2 Cape Verdi. A half to the GII Marathon S., GIII Greenwood Cup and GIII Hawthorne Gold Cup winner Scuba (Tapit), her 2-year-old full-brother to the winner was a €75,000 purchase by Barry Lynch at the Goffs Orby. Sales history: €240,000 Ylg '20 ARDEAY. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-2, $101,809.
O-KHK Racing; B-Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Simon & Ed Crisford.
Superb finish! Al Agaila wins the £100,000 talkSPORT Winter Oaks at @LingfieldPark for @the_doyler and @gainsboroughHQ… pic.twitter.com/mnd1A6CAqL
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) January 21, 2023
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