The Irish Oaks on Saturday evening sees the reappearance of Epsom winner Talent. Ralph Beckett’s filly upset her stable companion (and my ante-post bet!) Secret Gesture when powering past her inside the final furlong to score decisively.
Secret Gesture has picked up a minor knock and misses the race, although Beckett had already hinted at the likelihood of her swerving the race in favour of the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. Jim Crowley was on “the wrong one” last time but is back on board Talent here. The withdrawal of Secret Gesture has caused the bookies to shorten the odds on just about every other runner and they may have to sharpen their pens again shortly.
Alive Alive Oh is turning into something of a party pooper. After two impressive victories she was well backed to win the Ribblesdale but was pulled out due to fast ground. She was then reported in season for her next intended start and there are doubts about her turning up again on Saturday. With the heatwave even persisting in my part of Scotland it is safe to assume that it is the same across the water and it has to be good to firm at best.
In the event, the Ribblesdale provided Lady Cecil with the winner that everyone was hoping for so soon after the sad death of Sir Henry. It is difficult to knock the performance of Riposte that day. She missed the break but soon made up the ground and cut through the pack to win nicely. Following in her slipstream was Aidan O’Brien’s Just Pretending.
Riposte is 5-2 whilst Just Pretending is 14-1 and it is the disparity in the prices that interests me. Just Pretending had been placed in the Irish Guineas after being kicked on two furlongs from the finish. She was held up in the Ribblesdale, presumably because she was being asked to travel half a mile further than she had previously. Her breeding suggests she may be best at a mile and a quarter but evidently she gets a mile and a half well. I think she could provide some each-way value.
The French raider Chicquita is a bit of a puzzle. Normally I may have been tipping the runner-up in the French Oaks to win this but she is a bit of an oddball. She ran across the track and still finished second there but took even more drastic action the time before when running into a hedge rather than go straight! Johnny Murtagh has the task of keeping her from taking a diagonal course on Saturday and good luck to him. She has plenty of ability but I don’t want her carrying my money.
My second selection is a bit of a gamble in John Oxx’s once-raced Tarana. You can be sure that anything that runs in the colours of the Aga Khan is well bred and she is no exception, being by Cape Cross out of Galtres winner Tarakala. She won nicely on her debut back in September but has not managed to get back on the track since. I expect she will need the run but I’m prepared to take the risk at 20-1.
Just Pretending 14-1 William Hill
Tarana 20-1 William Hill
