So Mi Dar is an odds-on favourite to make a winning return to action in the Matchbook Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on Thursday evening.
John Gosden's filly was favourite for the Oaks last year after an easy win in the Musidora at York but injury prevented her from lining up in the Classic.
She managed to return in time to test herself in Group One company in the Prix de l'Opera in October but she met with a first defeat when narrowly beaten by Speedy Boarding.
The daughter of top-class mare Dar Re Mi, also trained by Gosden, had been due to return in the Middleton Stakes at York last week but heavy rain forced the Clarehaven handler into a rethink and she now finds herself taking on the boys first time out.
Gosden said: "I'm not frightened of good to soft, but she's an exuberant filly and I just didn't want her first run of the year to be in testing conditions.
"It's a pity we couldn't run in the Middleton, which was the plan all winter, but we'll be running against the boys in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes where it's going to dry up to be nearly good ground.
"She's in great form, she needs to get on and race now. We were always training for this time of year but she's one of those who filly who is quite single-minded.
"She's rather telling us, 'I want to get out and race', so she had better."
Another filly who was a late defector from the Middleton was Henry Candy's Chain Of Daisies.
She signed off last season with a career-best performance when beating subsequent Gordon Richards Stakes winner Ulysses in a Group Three at Windsor.
"Like John Gosden we'd hope to go to York but she's not as good on soft," said Candy.
"She nearly always needs her first run so I'd be a little wary and it would be nice if she could get a place.
"As a Group Three winner plans for her are a bit up in the air as the obvious Group Two for her was the Middleton.
"We'll take it race by race and she might have to go abroad."
Algometer, Mondialiste, Baydar, Steel Of Madrid, Red Verdon and Autocratic also run.
