RACING:AIDAN O'BRIEN will hope a pair of Group Three races today can result in further strings to an already strong Epsom Oaks bow that includes the top two in the Classic betting, Kissed and Maybe.
The champion trainer’s son Joseph travels to York to ride Twirl in the Musidora Stakes while Séamus Heffernan will be on duty at Naas where he teams up with Was in the Blue Wind Stakes.
Twirl, a sister to the Classic winner Misty For Me, is currently a general 16 to 1 shot for the Oaks and faces five opponents in the 10-furlong event which includes the 1,000 Guineas fourth The Fugue.
“If she [Twirl] came through the trial she could join Maybe and Kissed in the Investec Oaks,” O’Brien said earlier this week before revealing that the once-raced Was has had an eventful preparation for her seasonal opener. “The horse she was working behind lost a shoe and it cut her over her knee. It needed stitches.”
Was also faces five opponents this evening and could have a tough opponent in Princess Highway whose maiden win at Leopardstown has been boosted since by the runner-up Betterbetterbetter.
The Dermot Weld-trained filly’s dam Irresistible Jewel won her maiden at Naas before going on to win the Ribblesdale, and Princess Highway may also be a highly-progressive type who, significantly, already has a run under her belt this term.
Ballydoyle’s two-year-olds are only now on the way back after a bout of coughing but with Royal Ascot only five weeks away there will be plenty of interest in the appearance of some of the O’Brien-trained juveniles this evening.
The Danehill Dancer filly Delight goes in the opener while Parliament Square, a son of Acclamation, has a tough opponent in the conditions event in Dawn Approach, who won the first two-year-old race of the season back in March.
Johnny Murtagh has chosen Mizani from the Aga Khan’s hopes in the 10-furlong maiden but discarding Handazan could come to haunt the champion jockey.
Handazan has hardly progressed as much as could be hoped after a highly promising career debut behind Imperial Monarch and was a disappointing favourite behind Ernest Hemingway at Dundalk last month.
