Epsom stage set for Savethelastdance after brilliant Chester performance

Stunning trial win means all eyes on Ballydoyle filly in Oaks.

Not many Flat races are won by 22 lengths, and even fewer when they are Classic trials. So Aidan O’Brien can be forgiven for saying Betfred Oaks favourite Savethelastdance’s performance at Chester was a little unusual.

Well beaten on her only outing at two, the Galileo filly arrived on the Roodee on the back of a Leopardstown maiden win at odds of 20-1.

But she will never be close to resembling that price again. Sent off odds-on in an admittedly below-standard renewal, there was nothing below-standard about her display as despite being niggled along early, she took off just after halfway and pulled further and further clear.

“I’m not sure you can ever be confident, you’re always hopeful,” said O’Brien, who is bidding for a fourth straight win in the Classic and 11th overall.

“It’s a different track, it will be different ground, so for everyone it will be interesting and we’ll learn a lot. That is why we all go racing and we’ll be watching like everyone else.

“I think it’s going to be very exciting to see what does happen when she has all those different things to contend with, but what she has done so far looks a little bit different.

“When you go up in distance lots of different things can happen. We’ve won the Oaks with fillies who have never run over anything near the Oaks trip before, so lots of different stuff can happen, there’s a lot of quality fillies in there so it will be exciting for everyone to see who comes out on top on the day.

“We started her this year in a very good maiden at Leopardstown that usually good fillies come out of and she won and I suppose everything has gone very well since.”

Reacting to her wide-margin win in the Cheshire Oaks, O’Brien said: “Her Chester run was very unusual. Usually when you see those things it can be an optical illusion as it can be a case of the rest stopping rather than one quickening up, but the times said she was quickening, which is unusual in a strongly-run race.”

While some have questioned Savethelastdance’s ability to handle good ground as well as she goes through soft, her trainer feels she should even improve for it.

“Most by Galileo we’ve had want better ground, they wouldn’t want it soft at all, and with Scat Daddy on the dam’s side you’d say absolutely she should want better ground, so it will be interesting to see. If you looked at her pedigree you’d say she wouldn’t want it soft, but she does bend her knee a little,” said O’Brien.

“She hasn’t done an awful lot of work since, she doesn’t need much as she’s a very clear-winded filly, so she’s just been cantering away and seems very happy.”

O’Brien also runs Red Riding Hood and Be Happy, both outsiders.

The only other trainer since 2014 to have won the Oaks is John Gosden and, now sharing the licence with son Thady, he looks the main threat again with Pretty Polly winner Running Lion and Musidora scorer Soul Sister.

Running Lion is one of two runners for the Gosden team
Running Lion is one of two runners for the Gosden team (Nigel French/PA)

“The fillies won their trials with authority – a Listed and a Group Three – and they very much belong in the race. Both fillies have a lot of speed, and stamina wise you never really know until you go the mile and a half,” said Gosden senior.

“They are both really bred to be mile-and-a-quarter fillies and the last bit you just don’t know, but you can’t practise it at home.”

Soul Sister’s jockey Frankie Dettori, riding in his last Oaks, which is part of the Qipco British Champions Series, said: “John kept on believing in Soul Sister.

“When she ran at Newbury the ground was heavy and John’s horses weren’t running well at the time, but she took me by surprise at York. She travelled, she quickened twice, and she clocked a very good time.

“I was impressed. She has to go an extra two furlongs but all the signs are good.”

Soul Sister bolted up in the Musidora Stakes
Soul Sister bolted up in the Musidora Stakes (Mike Egerton/PA)

Charlie Appleby and Godolphin took the decision to supplement Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Eternal Hope.

“Eternal Hope has done well since Lingfield. We have a nice draw down in stall five, which will hopefully help William (Buick) get into a decent position and allow the filly to run her best,” Appleby told the Godolphin website.

“She’s a filly who started her career in a Wolverhampton novice in February and all she has done is improve ever since. She’s stepped up and improved week on week. Physically, she’s got better all the time.

“She’s a trial winner, at a track that tests a horse’s ability to handle sharp bends, and she acquitted herself very well. It is seen as a test for Epsom, which shouldn’t pose any problem for her.

“As can sometimes be the case, the Oaks field will contain several who are unexposed and Eternal Hope comes into that category, even though she won a trial.

“She travelled very well at Lingfield and finished off her race strongly. She put herself into the Oaks picture as a strong contender with that performance.”

Caernarfon following a Listed win at Newmarket last year
Caernarfon following a Listed win at Newmarket last year (PA)

Jack Channon’s Caernarfon finished fourth in the Guineas and the trainer hopes the extra distance will bring about improvement.

“Every time we have stepped her up in grade, she has risen to it,” he said.

“We will be taking on well-touted fillies who have done very well in their Oaks trials, but they have got to step up in class and we’ve already been and proven that we can sort of mix it at that sort of level. We just hope that the extra distance will elevate her a couple of places.”

Heartache Tonight is trained in the UK but has run only in France to date for David Menuisier, shaping well in a Group One last time out.

“I think the step up in trip will definitely suit, she’s pretty much guaranteed to stay,” he said.

“Whether she will handle the track or not, we don’t know, but the same applies to all and let’s hope the ground is not too quick. She’s quite lanky and unfurnished still, so I would rather her not to run on too quick ground as we speak.

“Until we try we don’t really know, but the ground in the Cleopatre was near enough good that day and Cristian (Demuro) has always felt she wouldn’t be ground dependent, as long as it is not rattling. I’m happy to try.”

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