The round of Italian Classics continues on Sunday with the G2 Oaks d'Italia, which this year is sponsored by Tattersalls for the first time.
Hollie Doyle is set to take the ride on the G3 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1,000 Guineas) winner Shavasana (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who is trained by Stefano Botti and has been purchased since her Classic success by Katsumi Yoshida.
She will face 13 rivals at San Siro racecourse, including the second and third in the Premio Regina Elena, Estrosa (Ire) (Sioux Nation) and Aquila Reale (GB) (New Bay {GB}).
Peter Schiergen won last year's Oaks d'Italia with Nachtrose (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who is set to run in Saturday's G3 Lester Piggott S. at Haydock, and this year four German-trained runners are declared for the race along with three from France.
Heading the French trio is the Dubawi (Ire) filly Calmly (GB), a winner for King Charles at Kempton in January when trained by John and Thady Gosden but who now races for Team Valor, in whose colours she won the Listed Premio Maria Incisa Della Rochetta in Milan last month. Calmly, whose paternal grand-dam Zomaradah (GB) (Deploy {GB}) won the Oaks d'Italia in 1998, is trained by Jerome Reynier, who also won the G2 Premio Presidente Della Repubblica in Rome with Skalleti (Fr) a day after the filly's victory at San Siro.
With a prize fund of €388,000, there will also be vouchers offered by Tattersalls, for 15,000gns and 7,500gns to the owners of the winner and runner-up respectively.
Commenting on the inaugural sponsorship of the Italian Classic, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “Tattersalls has a long-standing and hugely valued relationship with Italian racing, and we are delighted to add the Italian Oaks to the Tattersalls portfolio of Classic and Group 1 sponsorships in Europe. Italian buyers have always played a prominent part in the yearling and breeze-up sales at Tattersalls and we are confident that the valuable bonuses will be well received.”
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