Since it was opened to older mares in 1991, the score in the Group 1
Yorkshire Oaks stands at 13-8 in favor of the sophomore brigade, and that
advantage looks set to widen in Thursday’s renewal with The Fugue taking pole
position.
An impressive Goodwood scorer, the daughter of Dansili heads a select field of seven for
the Yorkshire Oaks. John Gosden’s charge bounced back to
winning form in the Group 1 Nassau over 10 furlongs at the Glorious meeting, but
will be stepping back up to 1 1/2 miles for Thursday’s Ebor meeting fixture.
“The Fugue has been in good form since the Nassau and she goes well on the
track,” Gosden told PA Sport. “She is stepping back up in trip, but she is in
good order.”
The Fugue finished third over the trip in the Group 1 Oaks at Epsom and will
clash again with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Was and the Hughie Morrison-trained
Shirocco Star, who finished first and second that day. Morrison’s Coquet is the
other three-year-old runner in the all-aged heat.
There is a suspicion that the Oaks victory of Was came mainly as a result of
the misfortune of The Fugue and that theory could be backed up with the fact
that the Ballydoyle raider was only third behind that rival in the Nassau last
time. In between, Derrick Smith’s bay daughter of Galileo was only fourth on
testing ground in the Group 1 Irish Oaks at The Curragh on July 22, and she
probably has to improve now to trouble the favorite.
Shirocco Star split Was and The Fugue at Epsom and was runner-up in the Irish
Oaks and tries again, while her stablemate Coquet remains unexposed after
meeting significant trouble in running when sixth in the Epsom classic.
Wild Coco forms part of the four-year-old contingent after winning a Goodwood
Group 3 over 14 furlongs last time out, while Shareta, who has yet to build on
her Arc second from last term, makes the trip across the
Channel after finishing second in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on her
most recent start in June. The Jessica Harrington-trained Bible Belt completes
the line-up.
Chief supporting race is the Group 2 Lowther for juvenile fillies. Princess
Haya of Jordan’s Newfangled puts her unbeaten record on the line in the race,
escaping a penalty for her emphatic defeat of the well-regarded Agent Allison in
Royal Ascot’s Group 3 Albany Stakes over this trip last out on June 22.
The John Gosden-conditioned New Approach juvenile miss has hardly scared off
potential rivals, with trainer William Haggas taking the surprising but
noteworthy step of backing up his exciting Rosdhu Queen just six days after her
win in Newbury’s listed St Hugh’s Stakes over an extended five-furlong trip.
Racing in the colors of Clipper Logistics, the unbeaten bay daughter of
Invincible Spirit holds the third Sandreamer on that form.
“She’s owned by a Yorkshireman and trained by one, so we’re giving it a go,”
Haggas said. “The logical step is the Flying Childers, but that’s not until next
month.”
Jeremy Noseda saddles Arashan Ali’s The Gold Cheongsam, who may have found
the softer conditions against her when only fifth in the Albany and who has
since won twice, including in a competitive Newmarket nursery over this trip on
August 4.
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