The Oaks...

I saw both tahgrooda and ouija board win the pretty polly for me she was just as impressive as they were ,haggis has said she is in the oaks the french oaks and the ribblesdale for god sake what is he thinking about the ribblesdale is for horses not up to classic standard she is .

Good morning Lewisham

Whilst obviously the ballydoyle horses will always need respecting the real greats of this century the likes of sea the stars,frankel,sinndar,golden horn,ouija board,snow fairy,taghrooda,enable,harbinger,zarkava,treve and sakhee all dealt with the O’Brien horses in most cases without any problem.

Pink Dogwood? Take one for the family is more important, I guess.

In some ways a surprising decision to aim her at the Irish 1000 I know the currugh is a stiff test but surely the oaks would suit her better

As good as Minding? She's improved about 4lbs. A very moderate 1000 winner.

Anyone know where Sea of Faith is due to run next ?

Thanks Rease. Was she antepost tip then ?

guys imissed pricewises oaks write up , what did he say about aiden o briens contenders ? ,hermosa ,pink dogwood ,just wonerfull etc ,thanks in anticipation !

I don't think you absolutely need inside information to fancy pink dogwood. most of these fillies are inexperienced and there's no stand-out on form. her gowran park win was visually as impressive as anything in the field has done.

also we saw Hermosa improve from her first run to her second so you would expect pink dogwood to do the same.

Mehdaayih certainly doesn't look like much physically but she sure seems to pack a punch when out on the racetrack. I have a feeling she will drift in the live market but i don't think the drifting will stop her winning.

I posted this on boards.ie today

How did the Oaks field do in Group or Listed races?

These won a Group race (2 fillies) (as far as I can see) :
Fleeting (Group 3) (and in 2019 was 15th of 15 in the English 1000 Guineas.)
Tarnawa (Group 3)

These have won a Listed race (7 fillies):
Anapurna; Blue Gardenia; Manuela De Vega; Maqsad; Mehdaayih; Peach Tree; Pink Dogwood.

These have not won a Group or Listed race (5 fillies):
Delphinia; Frankellina; Lavender's Blue; Sh Boom; Tauteke.

The Group race and Listed race winners only won once at that level.
Perhaps I have made a mistake in the lists above.

This looks like a very weak Oaks field with no multiple Group race winners, no Group 2 winners, no Group 1 winners.

My choice is Lavender's Blue at 22s.

*Fleeting (Group 2)

Havlin on Mehdaayih, reason for the drift? He's 3 wins from 4 rides.

maqsad.. the way she travelled into the race last time deeply impressed me. maybe I'm a very poor judge but when I see a horse win like that then they're a class act...wouldn't be concerned about the staying thing.

the one that keeps bugging me is frankellina, I think she is a massive improver going up to a mile and a half. but then I guess she'll have to be as they all finished in a heap last time out.

pink dogwood is an out and out stayer. she's a big boat. look at her races she doesn't quicken at all. so the fact that she beat a strong field off a relatively slow pace first time up at naas is quite encouraging for her chances, and will also improve a lot going up to a mile and a half as her full brother already won an irish derby. given the trainers record, the price isn't really that short. and the fact that they are just sending her and two relative no-hopers gives you some idea the way they regard her.

looking at some of maqsads races tonight I do sort of wonder if she'll get the trip. races slightly keenly. and she got outstayed behind sunday star as a two year old over much shorter, that doesn't exactly scream oaks winner, that you're getting outstayed by a kodiac filly.

speaking of pace, the way medhaayiah slaughtered her field for toe at chester was hugely impressive. I backed the second that day Manuela de vega and looked away in disgust once the gosden filly quickened, as felt she had been mugged by a filly coming around the outside, but when I watched the race again you couldn't fail to be impressed. she murdered them for speed. whether than means she won't stay over a truly run mile and a half, I don't know. but i'd be suprised if the beckett filly turned around the form, regardless of the fact she was giving her weight at chester.

I think hugh Taylor also put something up which showed that her closing fractions that day were significantly quicker than sir dragonet in the chester vase about half an hour later. I think it's entirely possible we could get a repeat dose at Epsom and that she does them for toe.

looked at that medhaayiah race again. I implore anyone who hasn't done so to watch the video. she ran the last two furlongs like someone just put a rocket up her bum. whoosh! she took off. that was impressive.

maybe in the oaks its a different kind of test and she can't repeat that, but I just feel at the top level speed kills. frankel also seems like a huge influence for stamina. even though that race was slowly run it was also over a mile and a half and if she was really a non-stayer would she be quickening up like that at the end?

well yeah and the other question is will she handle the quicker ground as well, he also has the same question mark to answer.

out of the frankels in the race she's the one who most reminds me of her sire, ie the freakish speed/stride, the only question mark for me is was that just visually impressive because it turned into a speed test, and will she get found out in this classic in a more truly run race? I don't think she'd be the one who would come out on top if it turned into a tough battle in the final furlong, I think she's quite one dimensional that way, but that one trick might be good enough anyway.

put it this way, I'd feel like a mug if I backed manuela de vega to beat her and she got done for toe again in the same way- ultimately in horse racing the most important factor is speed, who the quickest horses are, and at chester the gosden filly I think showed her cards in that sense. she's seriously quick.

having looked at the race it revolves around wether pink dogwood can show on the racecourse what she has she has  shown at home ,a lot according to some 33s into 3s suggests she has been burning up the gallops but 3/1 is a bit short to find out imo ,most of these have only won at listed class or less and the trip could bring out inmprovement in some of the less obvious ones and i have had a few quid on fleeting the only group winner in the field won a weak looking may hill stakes last season and only fair form this s=term  last in the 1,000 guineas but the step up to 12 f should be right up her street but the ste and at around 50s or better on her she may be value by zoffany and bred to stay she could be value ,as i like a few cracks of the whip at big prices also having a nibble at  delphina also trained at ballydoyle and by gallileo lightly raced and could also improve  for the step up in distance and around 55s or better on here ,longshots  yes but both well bred and with the right connections .

sorry i was refering to the cheshire oaks

I think Pink Dogwood is fav could be because Dettori is not on Mehdaayih otherwise the lattercould be as short as 7/4; money for Maqsad.