With the unfortunate downpour of rain we have had this week, the Lingfield Oaks and Derby trials will now be held on the all-weather course. Which does slightly change the complexion of the races however, with the Lingfield Turf being a good stiff test for horses, very much like Epsom. Still nonetheless, we have two decent Listed contests on Saturday, starting off with the Oaks Trial. The last horse to win this and go on to win the Epsom feature was Anapurna in 2019 for trainer John Gosden. It’s doubtful we’ll see an Oaks winner from this race this year now it’s switched to the all-weather, but you never know!
GG Editor Jake Russell is on hand to talk us through the key runners and giving his expert verdict on who he’s backing to come out on top.
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Odds correct at time of posting – 2.20pm Friday 12th May
Key Runners
Be Happy (Aidan O’Brien)
The last time Aidan O’Brien trained the winner of this was Seventh Heaven in 2016, who went on to win the Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks. Be Happy is his horse in this, who was a decent enough winner on debut back in Cork considering the slow start she produced. That was on testing conditions, and she has since been running in Group 3 company, with arguably a career best last time out when coming 3rd in Saint-Cloud over 1m2f, only beaten by just under 4 lengths. In the context of this race, that is probably the best form on offer, and like a few of the trainers’ horses, they will come on well in their 3yo season. She could have improved enough to land a contest like this.
Eternal Hope (Charlie Appleby)
Godolphin and Charlie Appleby are a force to be reckoned with in these sorts of contests (especially when it comes to the classic contests these days), and Eternal Hope does look a potentially nice prospect in the making. It’s hard to gauge where she is at ability wise, as she hasn’t been seen since winning a Chelmsford Maiden Fillies race by just under 2 lengths (With the 2nd place horse winning at Southwell since). She lacks the Group race experience, which the favourite has in her favour, but Eternal Hope could be one of the runners in the field to be a huge improver. She has the form on the all-weather surface, which will more than suit her, and could be something to really play in her favour. Apart from that, it’s hard to gauge her ability levels.
Bright Diamond (Karl Burke)
The highest rated horse in the field, with some of them having no ratings bearing in mind. She was a winner at Newmarket on debut back in August, where she beat Liberalist by a very easy 9 lengths, she then went on to contest in two Group races, at both Group 3 and Group 1 level. She put in a career best when coming 3rd in the Fillies Mile at Newmarket back in October, getting beat by just under 6 lengths. That was a decent enough run considering she hung left in the final furlongs of the race. She has been off the track for 210+ days now, whereas others in the market have race fitness on their sides and she takes an extra four furlongs up in trip, which looking at breeding does pose a few questions marks. But that Fillies Mile 3rd is a decent piece of form, and should she take to the step up in trip well, she will be sure to go well.
Sunset Point (Charlie Appleby)
The daughter of Dubawi is one of the more experienced horses in the field, with four runs to her name, she has the two wins to her name under rules. A winner at Lingfield on the all-weather, before going on to win nicely in a Class 4 Handicap at Windsor over 1m2f last month. To the eye that wasn’t much race wise, but she won with absolute ease by just under 8 lengths, taking her measly rating of 76 up to 88, so a massive 12lb rise for her. She lacks the Group race experience like her stablemate but is clearly a filly going well at present so she could improve even further, but she would have to improve some to land a race of this nature. That being said, you always have to take the Godolphin horses very seriously!
Verdict
As mentioned early on, this is a very hard race to gauge, but I feel Aidan O’Brien surely has this race in the palm of his hand with Be Happy. I don’t think she will be an Oaks winning filly at Epsom, but should she win this then she could be one to improve further along in the season. That run last time out would have blown the cobwebs away, and the yards horses are going well at present, especially this week at Chester in the Classic trials at Chester. Eternal Hope has Will Buick booked, so needs to be taken seriously and could improve, but she would need to improve a fair bit more from her last run.
SELECTION
Check out this weeks Weekend Watch, where our terrific trio of tipsters guide us through their selections for the key racing on offer at Ascot and Haydock on Saturday:
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