Oscula ready to roll in Rockfel Stakes

Connections anticipating bold effort at Newmarket.

George Boughey’s Oscula is bidding for another Group prize as she takes aim at the Group Two Unibet Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

The Galileo Gold two-year-old was the winner of the Group Three Prix Six Perfections at Deauville in August, the culmination of a season in which she has barely gone unplaced in a string of high-quality races.

The bay lost her maiden tag at Brighton and was subsequently third in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and fourth in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes – both times behind Andrew Balding’s Sandrine.

“She’s working well, she’s been a very good filly for us,” said Nick Bradley, managing director of ownership partnership Nick Bradley Racing.

“She’s drawn (in stall) 10 of 10, so we’ll have to work that out, but she goes there with a good each-way chance.

Oscula winning for the first time at Brighton earlier in the season
Oscula winning for the first time at Brighton earlier in the season (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

“She’s the highest-rated filly in the race and I expect her to put up a good show.

“What’s going to beat her? Something that’s only run once or twice potentially, maybe the (Andrew) Balding Frankel filly (Majestic Glory), but I think she sets the standard.”

Ralph Beckett’s Girl On Film lines up having won on her only start, taking a Newmarket maiden by a length and a half in early August.

This therefore represents a significant step up in grade, but Beckett remains hopeful the Dabirsim filly can hold her own in this company after being impressed with her work on the gallops.

“It’s a big ask, but her homework indicates she’s ready for it,” he said.

“We’ll see what happens. She’s a big, raw-boned filly and obviously I’m very hopeful that it works on Friday – but if it doesn’t, she’ll be a better filly next year.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Hello You (centre) during the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot
Hello You (centre) during the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA)

David Loughnane’s Hello You is looking for a first black-type victory after going close in a handful of Group-race contests this season.

The daughter of Invincible Spirit was previously trained by Beckett, but transferred to Loughnane’s yard in August and has run twice since, finishing sixth in York’s Lowther Stakes and fourth in Goodwood’s Prestige Stakes.

“Hello You is improving with every run,” Loughnane said.

“She’s starting to settle down as she’s been overly keen on her last two starts and was arguably a bit unlucky in running.

“She’s definitely up to this level and deserves to get a Group win beside her name, she’s been very consistent and has run some solid races so hopefully we’ll have a good run.”

Roger Charlton fields Jumbly
Roger Charlton fields Jumbly (John Walton/PA)

Jumbly has won each of her two starts for Roger Charlton, who admits it is a big leap in class for the Gleneagles filly, who is out of the Beckhampton trainer’s 2014 Pretty Polly winner Thistle Bird.

He said: “She is stepping up and we’re going into the unknown. She won a weak race easily at Kempton, so we’ll see.

“She came into training late, but she’s always been a nice filly. There are lots of other nice fillies in there as well.

“It’s going to be good to firm ground. It was good at Leicester when she won, so hopefully she’ll be OK.”

Majestic Glory has won her previous two outings, the latter being the Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes, and is the likely favourite for the race as a result of that one-length victory.

John and Thady Gosden’s Sunstrike was fourth that day and will cross swords with Balding’s filly again, whereas Ed Walker’s Kawida comes into the race off the back of a triumph having taken a maiden fillies’ race at Haydock last time out.

William Stone’s Romantic Time will be having her seventh career start, with the most recent of her three career victories coming in the Group Three Dick Poole Fillies’ Stakes at Salisbury earlier in the month.

Boughey is also represented by Cachet, who has twice been placed in Listed company, with Roger Varian’s Femme Friendly completing the field.

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