Yorkshire Oaks Guide 2021

Having needed her first two runs as a juvenile, she got off the mark at The Curragh at the third time of asking in a Fillies' Maiden.

However, since then she has raced four times between seven furlongs and a mile in decent graded events and has struggled being outclassed.

Stepping up in trip on debut this term brought bring improvement out of her, when winning the Group Three Musidora Stakes at York over 10.5f.

Many thought off the back of that she should have been closer in the market to her stablemate Santa Barbara, and they were right.

Snowfall went on to take the event with ease, winning by a record 16 lengths for Aidan O'Brien and jockey Frankie Dettori and that saw the handler land the event for the ninth time.

Off the back of that she made it three wins from three for the season when landing the Oaks double at the Curragh, again going on to score by a wide margin.

She is the odds on favourite to take this event and if performing to the same standard as her last few runs then she looks unbeatable.

The four year old daughter of Le Havre has been a revelation over the last few season for the yard, getting onto soft/heavy ground and revelling in it.

Having landed a Group Three at Deauville in August on heavy ground, he then went into the Group One Prix Vermeille at Paris Longchamp and the good ground went against him.

Stepped up to 1m6f in October he landed the Group One Prix de Royallieu at the Arc meeting on heavy ground and then later that month back that up with a career best performance over 12f in the British Champions Fillies & Mares at Ascot, when landing another Group One on heavy ground.

The form of that race has worked out extremely well with the second going on to win a Group One, Third winning back to back Group Threes, sixth landing a Group Three and seventh taking out a decent Group Two.

Wonderful Tonight also franked the form of the race last time out when stepping up in trip for the Group Two Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood and winning nicely.

Back down to her optimal trip in this she is a live player, but has it all to do against the favourite.

Likely runner up.

One of the most inexperienced runners in the field but arguably posing some serious potential is the Roger Varian trained Eshaada.

The three year old filly made her debut as a juvenile in November last year, getting off the mark in taking style on soft ground at Nottingham over 8.5f.

Saved for this season the daughter of Muhaarar stepped up to 10f in a Listed Fillies' Stakes at Newbury and made it back to back wins in gritty style.

Doing her best work late on she was stepped up to 1m4f last time out and was a narrow second to rival Loving Dream.

She holds bundles of ability and is one of the more likely improvers in this field, but stepping into this company will show how good she really is.

She won at the second time of asking, winning a maiden fillies race on the all weather (8.5f), keeping on to lead towards the finish by an eventual 1 length margin. 

She returned from a 4 month break last time out, upped to 10f in a fillies novice stakes by which she finished a 2 1/2 length runner up behind the smart Noon Star out of Galileo, again keeping on well to the line to signify 12f should be no issue. 

She’s out of high class miler Gleneagles, related to St Leger winner Brian Boru and Arc Winner, Workforce, thereby showing her high class potential. 

However, when stepped into Listed company for the first time in her career at Lingfield in the Oaks Trial, she struggled, finishing an average, with the soft ground going against.

She bounced back in a big way last time out at Ascot to land the Group Two Ribblesdale Stakes on quick ground and if improving from that can outrun her odds.

Interesting.

The daughter of Muhaarar has has some decent runs to her name over the last few years with a head loss over 14f in a Listed event at Ascot before subsequently landing the Listed Buckhounds Stakes at the same track next time out when dropped back to 12f on her seasonal re-appearance.

She was then sent to Epsom for the Group One Coronation Cup but was well-beaten into fourth and off the back of that went to Royal Ascot when putting up a fair effort into fifth.

The form of that race has obviously worked out, but not for her as last time out she was a 11 length third behind Wonderful Tonight in the Lillie Langtry Stakes and with the ground drying she is opposable once more.

The daughter of Galileo ran on well to finish third in the Group One Cazoo Oaks (12f) on her penultimate start before a respectable fourth placed finish in the Ribblesdale (12f) next time out upon fast ground unlikely to have suited.

She was then kept at that trip for the Group One Irish oaks at the Curragh where she improved again to chase home stablemate Snowfall.

Last time out the filly went up to 1m6f in the Lille Langtry Stakes at Goodwood and it looked too much for her so now dropping back in trip she could sneak a place.

Needs another career best.

The daughter of Frankel finished fourth on her step up to Listed company at Chester (11.5f) on her second start this season before subsequently finishing a well-beaten 11th in the Epsom Oaks behind stablemate and re-opposing rival, Snowfall.

Her workmanlike maiden winnext time out at Roscommon was a good effort, however it's looking very likely that her sole purpose in this race is to set a good gallop to tee up her stablemate Snowfall for the win.

She was last seen only beating two home in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh and overall she is not a Group One horse at this distance.