Free betting tips: Mike Cattermole's verdict on the Investec Oaks
Mike Cattermole fancies Wild Illusion to justify favouritism in the Investec Oaks at Epsom - check out his 1-2-3-4 verdict.
Mike's best bet:
It is a shame that the obviously smart Lah Ti Dar misses out on her big chance in the Investec Oaks at Epsom on Friday and even if her absence has opened up the race a bit, it is a surprise that the field is such a small one.
However, Wild Illusion, with a pedigree that screams out middle distances, is taken to provide Charlie Appleby with a first domestic Classic success and William Buick his third.
Wild Illusion won the Group One Prix Marcel Boussac on soft ground at two, and in a good time, although the form has taken a knock or two since.
However, she showed she had trained on with a creditable fourth in the 1,000 Guineas behind Billesdon Brook and it is good to see that race standing up well with runner-up Laurens winning a Group One last weekend at Paris Longchamp, and the third Happily and sixth Soliloquy running good races (and virtually to form) in the Irish 1,000 Guineas last Sunday.
The significant thing about that run from Wild Illusion was that Appleby made a point of stressing beforehand that it was the Oaks that was the main aim for the daughter of Dubawi, for whom an easy surface is proven.
Given that her dam, Rumh, won at two miles, it seems reasonable to expect that she will build on what she has done already and, if she does, she will set a decent standard to aim at, being already the highest-rated filly in the line-up.
Five of her eight rivals are trained by six-time winning trainer Aidan O’Brien, and who knows how much improvement they will show? Ryan Moore sticks with Magic Wand, winner of the Cheshire Oaks - on good ground.
Magic Wand took a bit step forward there and her previous form (on a more testing surface on both starts) was nothing out of the ordinary. She looked a work in progress at Chester, albeit quite an exciting one, and stayed the trip well. You can imagine that there is plenty more to come.
Her stablemate, Forever Together, chased her home at a distance of three and a half lengths after having no luck in running at all and had been absent since last October - far longer than Magic Wand, who had a prep run earlier in the spring.
Bye Bye Baby is the second highest-rated in the field and the most experienced. She won the Group Three Blue Wind Stakes at the Curragh over 10f on a testing surface and is certainly bred to be suited by this trip.
Seamie Heffernan was in the saddle then but not now (it’s Wayne Lordan) – Heff is on I Can Fly after partnering her in the 1,000 Guineas when well held and perhaps unsuited by the quick surface. Moore had tried her out before that when third in the 7f Guineas trial at Leopardstown.
Trying to work out the Ballydoyle booking order is a puzzle in itself!
Ryan had ridden Flattering (a 10-length winner in soft/heavy ground at Cork) into third place in the Lingfield Oaks Trial and had asked her a few serious questions that day when she was beaten two and a half lengths by Perfect Clarity.
Clive Cox’s filly will now tackle a soft surface for the first time in her career but she showed a great attitude at Lingfield, handled the track well too, and could easily have the ability to get involved here.
Give And Take won the Musidora at York pretty convincingly and is going the right way but she was outclassed by Wild Illusion as a two-year-old last August and may struggle a touch.
In conclusion, WILD ILLUSION looks to have an obvious chance and is taken to hold off improved versions of both Magic Wand and Perfect Clarity.
VERDICT:
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