Aidan O'Brien has booked Frankie Dettori for the G3 Musidora S. winner Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in Friday's G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom, for which 14 fillies were confirmed on Wednesday. Registering a career-best when winning by 3 3/4 lengths in that extended 10-furlong trial at York May 12, she joins 'TDN Rising Star' and likely favourite Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and three others from Rosegreen in the mile-and-a-half Classic. As expected, Ryan Moore sticks with the May 2 G1 1000 Guineas fourth Santa Barbara, while Seamie Heffernan takes the mount on the G3 Flame of Tara S. winner Divinely (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Wayne Lordan is on the G3 Blue Wind S. third Willow (Ire) (American Pharoah) and William Buick picks up the ride on the Listed Cheshire Oaks fourth La Joconde (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).
O'Brien was at The Curragh on Wednesday and gave the low-down on the quintet. “We always thought the world of Snowfall last year, but she didn't really put it together. Maybe it was the winter under her belt or going up in trip which helped her or a bit of both, but we were pleased with her at York,” he said. “With Santa Barbara, we had to be careful with her going to the Guineas but we were able to train her a little bit harder for the Oaks and we've been very happy with her since. She looks like she'll definitely get a mile and a quarter and there is a good chance of her getting the trip. Being by Camelot, she has that influence for stamina but she's not short of pace and class. Wayne [Lordan] really liked Willow at Naas and we think she's gone the right way while we always thought Divinely would improve for a step up in trip. We were very happy with her at Lingfield–it was a slowly-run race and all her figures from her work have been very favourable with the others. La Joconde is a maiden, but has worked nicely and we always thought she was better than her form so we are letting her take her chance as well.”
After the draw was made for the £395,000 contest, it was Shadwell's Cheshire Oaks runner-up Zeyaadah (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) who was handed the disadvantageous one stall with Qatar Racing's Ocean Road (Ire) (Australia {GB}) alongside in two. The latter, who was third behind Sherbet Lemon (Lemon Drop Kid) and Save a Forest (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and in front of Divinely in the May 8 Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial, was the subject of a bullish bulletin from trainer Hugo Palmer on Wednesday.
“I think she has come on an enormous amount from Lingfield,” he said of the half-sister to the dual GI Northern Dancer Turf S. hero Wigmore Hall (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) who was given a sighter of Epsom last week. “I'd be confident that she has come on at least 10 pounds and if she has come on 20 pounds she is going to be right there. I weighed her on Monday. She was only just ready to run when she went to Lingfield and she has stripped down to hard-fit now. She is 18 kilos lighter than she was at Lingfield. Her work has been really good. She is an outsider, but I think she is a lively outsider. She has a lot of improvement to find, not least to beat the two horses that beat her last time, but I think everyone is united that it's a pretty open year.”
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's Cheshire Oaks winner Dubai Fountain (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas runner-up Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) have been drawn six and seven respectively, with Ali Saeed's Musidora third Teona (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in eight.
In other Epsom news to break on Wednesday, Aidan O'Brien announced that last year's G2 Beresford S. winner High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will miss Saturday's G1 Cazoo Derby at Epsom for which he was the winter ante-post favourite and wait for the G1 Irish Derby at The Curragh on June 26.
Confirming that 'TDN Rising Star' Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will be the stable's sole representative in the blue riband, the Ballydoyle handler said during racing at The Curragh, “Nothing is written in stone until ten o'clock in the morning, but it looks like the two horses are going to be split. It looks like Bolshoi Ballet is going to Epsom and it looks like High Definition is coming straight here. Bolshoi would be our only runner at Epsom–that's what the lads are thinking to give the two of them a chance at a Derby. It's the right thing.”
O'Brien revealed that the four other remaining entries would go in separate directions. “St Mark's Basilica and Van Gogh are going to France [for Sunday's G1 Prix du Jockey Club],” he continued. “Kyprios is going to Ascot for the Queen's Vase and Sir Lamorak might go for the King Edward. We were lucky to get the run into High Definition at York and we think he's a very good horse. A little more time won't do him any harm. It was just to give the two of them a chance until they have to meet. The Curragh Derby is a very important race, as the Epsom Derby is also. I'm very happy with both horses. If we didn't get the run into High Definition then there was no decision to make, as if he didn't run in York then he definitely wouldn't go to Epsom.”
With Frankie Dettori no longer required by Ballydoyle, the 50-year-old who was widely expected to be on High Definition instead gets the call-up for TDN Rising Star John Leeper (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Cristina Patino's May 15 Listed Fairway S. winner was due to be ridden by Adam Kirby, but the owner-breeder was intent on snaring the jockey who steered Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) to glory in the 2012 G1 Irish Champion S.
“Frankie was the first choice and was approached quite a while ago, but he has been riding a lot for Aidan in England and that was going to happen until the bolt out of the blue from Ballydoyle this afternoon,” trainer Ed Dunlop explained to the Racing Post. “There are no negatives with Frankie riding in the Derby and the horse's work is all done now. He's done everything we've wanted him to do so far and, touch wood, everything is going well going into the race. The news today came a bit out of the blue, but once Mrs. Patino heard she was very keen and instructed us to see if Frankie was available.”
Before Epsom's action gets underway, Thursday's Leopardstown card features the Listed Glencairn S. over a mile, where The Aga Khan's 2020 G3 Amethyst S. winner Sinawann (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) makes his seasonal bow, and the 12-furlong Listed Nijinsky S. for 3-year-olds. The Mediterranean (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was one of the members of Ballydoyle's drastically trimmed-down Derby list, heads here instead having been successful in a maiden over the course and distance May 9. The son of the classy Flashy Wings (GB) (Zafonic) meets Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's Fernando Vichi (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who gives more clues as to the measurable ability of Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) having been third to the hot Derby favourite in the same card's G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial.
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