John Ingles summarises the pedigrees of the 11 fillies declared for the Betfred Oaks on Friday.
BE HAPPY
Camelot – Frequential (Dansili)
Proven at the trip from finishing second in the Oaks Trial at Lingfield when more pace would have suited. A 340,000 guinea yearling by Derby winner Camelot, she’s one of three entries out of a Dansili mare. Her dam Frequential was unraced but comes from the famous family of Derby winners Sea The Stars and Galileo. The latter’s sister All Too Beautiful was runner-up in the Oaks and so was that filly’s daughter Wonder of Wonders.
BRIGHT DIAMOND
El Kabeir – Starlite Sienna (Elusive Pimpernel)
Bright Diamond seemed to stay a mile and a half when fifth in the Oaks Trial at Lingfield which turned into a sprint but, as a half-sister to a two-year-old sprint winner, her pedigree isn’t an obvious one for an Oaks contender. Her US dirt sire El Kabeir’s best horse is recent Duke of York Stakes winner Azure Blue, though he did also get last year’s Derby fourth Masekela. Dam Starlite Sienna was just a fair maiden up to around a mile and a quarter.
CAERNARFON
Cityscape – Royal Ffanci (Royal Applause)
Caernarfon was doing her best work late on to finish fourth in the 1000 Guineas, beaten around ten lengths, but looks an unlikely stayer on pedigree. Her sire Cityscape was a high-class miler but has sired only a handful of smart performers, including Caernarfon’s sister Dan’s Dream who won the Fred Darling and was never tried beyond a mile. Their unraced dam Royal Ffanci was by sprinter Royal Applause so very hard to see her getting the trip.
ETERNAL HOPE
Teofilo – Voice of Truth (Dubawi)
Supplemented after winning the Oaks Trial at Lingfield which proved her effectiveness at this trip as would be expected of stamina influence Teofilo. Eternal Hope’s lightly-raced dam Voice of Truth only won a Chelmsford maiden at two over seven furlongs but is a half-sister to numerous winners, notably Godolphin’s very smart mile/mile and a quarter horse Rio de La Plata, a non-stayer in the Derby on his only try at a mile and a half.
HEARTACHE TONIGHT
Recorder – Salvation (Montjeu)
Heartache Tonight is by Acomb Stakes winner Recorder, a son of Galileo who raced only at two, and a half-sister to her stable’s very smart filly Wonderful Tonight, winner of the Prix de Royallieu and Fillies’ & Mares’ Stakes. She stayed a mile and three quarters, inheriting her stamina from her dam Salvation, a winner up to 13f in France by stamina influence Montjeu (damsire of 2019 Oaks winner Anapurna) and from the family of Camelot.
MAMAN JOON
Sea The Stars – Dorcas Lane (Norse Dancer)
Maman Joon faces a stiff task as a once-raced maiden but, by Sea The Stars, sire of 2014 Oaks winner Taghrooda, she’s bred to be smart at this trip. Her half-brothers Atty Persse and Candleford both won mile and a half handicaps at Royal Ascot, the latter a smart winner of last year’s Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, while her useful dam Dorcas Lane won the Pretty Polly at Newmarket before finishing third in the Ribblesdale and Lancashire Oaks.
RED RIDING HOOD
Justify – Ballydoyle (Galileo)
Red Riding Hood is a daughter of US triple crown winner Justify and smart filly Ballydoyle (rated 113), winner of the Prix Marcel Boussac and runner-up to stablemate (and future Oaks winner) Minding in the 1000 Guineas. Although by Galileo, Ballydoyle was unproven beyond a mile and her even better sister Misty For Me (dam of July Cup winner U S Navy Flag) was a non-staying fifth in the Oaks after winning the Irish 1000 Guineas.
RUNNING LION
Roaring Lion – Bella Nouf (Dansili)
Running Lion comes from the only crop of her sire Roaring Lion who was third in the Derby on his only try at a mile and a half. Her dam Bella Nouf was a fairly useful handicapper up to a mile and a quarter who has also produced the Sweet Solera Stakes winner Majestic Glory (by Frankel), who might have been expected to stay further, but also the winner up to two miles Cozone by Derby winner Pour Moi.
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SAVETHELASTDANCE
Galileo – Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy)
Savethelastdance, trained by Aidan O’Brien, is bidding to become yet another Oaks winner for the late Galileo whose five previous winners were all trained at Ballydoyle, including Tuesday last year. She’s the first foal out of her smart American-trained dam Daddys Lil Darling (rated 117) who had to be withdrawn after bolting to post before the 2017 Oaks but later won the American Oaks over a mile and a quarter at Santa Anita.
SEA OF ROSES
Sea The Moon – Plume Rose (Marchand de Sable)
Sea of Roses is a daughter of German Derby winner Sea The Moon out of French two-year-old nine furlong winner Plume Rose which makes her a close relative to smart middle-distance handicapper Desert Icon, later a Group 3 winner in Australia. Sea of Roses finished second to leading Prix de Diane contender Pensee du Jour at Saint-Cloud in April and comes from the same family as that filly which is also that of Arc winner Peintre Celebre.
SOUL SISTER
Frankel – Dream Peace (Dansili)
Soul Sister is by Frankel, sire of 2019 Oaks winner Anapurna for the same stable, and is owned/bred by Lady Bamford like 2009 winner Sariska. Her owner paid 2.7m guineas for her smart dam Dream Peace (rated 117), winner of the Prix de la Nonette at Deauville over a mile and a quarter and placed in several US Grade 1 contests. Grandam and great grandam were smart French-trained fillies too, with Oaks runner-up/Irish Oaks winner Moonstone also in the family.
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