Final decision ‘pending’ but Noon Star poised to take Oaks chance

Regally-bred Musidora runner-up should relish mile-and-a-half trip at Epsom.

Noon Star appears increasingly likely to take her chance in the Cazoo Oaks at Epsom on Friday week.

Sir Michael Stoute’s filly is an impeccably-bred product of the late Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte operation, being a daughter of Galileo out of the brilliant racemare Midday, who won six Group One races but was narrowly beaten by Sariska in the Oaks in 2009.

Noon Star won two of her first three career starts, including an impressive beginning to her three-year-old campaign at Wetherby in April.

Favourite-backers had their fingers burnt after she had to make do with the runner-up spot behind Aidan O’Brien’s Snowfall in the Musidora Stakes at York a fortnight ago, but connections are hopeful further improvement will be forthcoming when she steps up in distance.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for Juddmonte, said: “We are looking towards the Oaks – the (Abdullah) family are happy for that.

“I think Sir Michael would like to decide a little bit later on. She hasn’t done much since York, so we’ll just make sure.

“I think when he’s happy, in principle the family are happy to go to the Oaks. But I would say a final decision is pending.”

Reflecting on her Musidora Stakes performance, Grimthorpe added: “I thought it was a slightly muddling pace, but if you get beaten you look for those false positives sometimes – it was the same for everybody.

“Her pedigree says that she ought to stay and that will be much more her game. However, over a mile and a half there will be no hiding place, either in the Oaks or the Ribblesdale (at Royal Ascot)

“York was encouraging and she still seems to be going the right way.”

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