IN SUMMARY: Pretty Perfect is arguably the one with most potential and it will be interesting to see if she can enhance her Epsom Oaks credentials here but preference is for BOCCA BACIATA (4/1), who has already proven she can get competitive at the highest level and quickly bounced back from her disappointing seasonal reappearance when winning a Listed event at Gowran with a degree of authority 17 days ago. Zhukova had the below-par Bocca Baciata behind and impressed at Listed level at the Curragh last month. However, it remains to be seen whether she can match that performance on faster ground.
1 Bocca Baciata – Ended last season with very creditable fifth in Group 1 event on Champions’ Day at Ascot (1m4f, good to soft); well behind Zhukova on last month’s reappearance at the Curragh but the ground was heavy that day and she quickly got back on track with Listed success at Gowran (9.5f, good) three weeks later, where she had much more in hand than the winning margin (a head) suggests; leading contender.
2 Zhukova – Won two of her four 3yo starts and displayed improvement when comfortable winner of Listed event at the Curragh (1m2f, heavy) last month; had Bocca Baciata about 11l behind that day and is open to progress but she now needs to prove she can match that performance on the less-testing ground here.
3 Queen Blossom – Showed useful form on both 2yo starts in the autumn and built on that promise when taking Group 3 Express Stables at the Curragh (1m, yielding to soft) in March; disappointing favourite behind Pretty Perfect when upped to 1m2f at Navan last month but the soft to heavy ground may not have suited and she remains of interest.
4 Glamorous Approach – Second of two 2yo wins was gained in Listed company, at Newmarket (1m2f, good) in October; has also run well in Pattern company on both outings this year, more recently when second to Pretty Perfect at Navan (1m2f, soft to heavy) last month; has a bit to find on the figures but not yet fully exposed.
5 How High The Moon – Created good impression in 7f Curragh maiden on debut in August and went close in 1m Listed event there later that month; coould easily have more to offer this season but was slightly disappointing on latest outing and Pretty Perfect appears to be the stable’s main hope today.
6 Pretty Perfect – Won her maiden at Leopardstow (7f, good to yielding) in October, her second start, and followed-up with another front-running success when back in action last month, in Listed event at Navan (1m2f, soft to heavy); encounters faster ground here but is no bigger than 20/1 for the Oaks and needs to be taken very seriously.
myracing Forecast Prices: 9/4 Pretty Perfect, 5/2 Zhukova, 7/2 Bocca Baciata, 8/1 Queen Blossom, Glamorous Approach, 12/1 How High The Moon