Bluestocking and You Got To Me stand ground for Yorkshire Oaks

Adam Morgan
August 16, 2024 12:19 pm

Aidan O’Brien adds his Irish Oaks runner-up Content to the mix.

Ralph Beckett holds a strong hand in the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks after both Irish Oaks heroine You Got To Me and Bluestocking featured among the confirmations.

While Bluestocking remains in the mix for Wednesday’s Juddmonte International Stakes at York, You Got To Me is firmly on course for the mile-and-a-half event as she bids to add to her Curragh Classic success.

That was the first time the daughter of Nathaniel – who is jointly-owned by Valmont and Newsells Park Stud – had struck at the highest level, but connections are confident she has now earned her spot at the top table with the Knavesmire Group One an obvious next port of call.

Welcome to the Classic club @HectorCrouch! 🏆
He wins the G1 Irish Oaks on YOU GOT TO ME for @RalphBeckett 🎉
pic.twitter.com/xBPmER6z9b

— World Horse Racing (@WHR) July 20, 2024

“It’s nice when you can pinpoint a race from way out and train towards it,” said Alex Elliott, Valmont’s racing adviser.

“I think she is pleasing Ralph and the team very much and it looks a very warm contest.

“It will be interesting to see where Ralph and Juddmonte go with Bluestocking, and Aidan O’Brien is going to run Content who we beat in Ireland.

“I think we are going there in hopefully good shape and can hopefully be competitive. I think (a lot will depend) if we can get her to do it properly again and pace is important. We got that in Ireland and it would help us if we could get that again, but it is never guaranteed.

“However, I think the filly is exactly where we want her at this stage.”

Queen Of The Pride (right) winning at Haydock (Richard Sellers/PA)

Group One regular Emily Upjohn and the rapidly-improving Queen Of The Pride give John and Thady Gosden two chances in a race the Clarehaven team won five years ago with Enable.

Aidan O’Brien has supplemented Irish Oaks runner-up Content to join Port Fairy as he seeks his fourth race victory in five years.

Another possible Irish raider is Dermot Weld’s progressive Munster Oaks scorer Sumiha, while David O’Meara’s Lava Stream struggled when set a Classic challenge at the Curragh most recently but before that was a narrow second in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.

William Haggas’ Sea Theme won the Galtres Stakes and could return to York having impressed at Listed level in France last month, with Hughie Morrison’s Minstral Star also remaining in the hunt.