It's Perfect Clarity for Simon Holt in the Investec Oaks - check out his thoughts on Friday's card at Epsom.
Recommended bets:
2pts win Perfect Clarity in 4.30 Epsom at 15/2
2pts win Ajman King in 3.45 Epsom at 2/1
Compared to the Derby this year, Friday's Investec Oaks has a more open look though Wild Illusion, the only previous Group One winner in the field, is a natural market leader under William Buick.
Besides her proven class, having landed the Prix Marcel Boussac at Chantilly (soft) last October, the Godolphin filly should have both the distance and the ground conditions in her favour.
Fourth in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on her reappearance, Wild Illusion looked flat out throughout the final two furlongs on the fast ground and could stay on at just the same pace behind shock winner Billesdon Brook with subsequent narrow Prix Saint Alary winner (over a longer trip) Laurens in second.
Third-placed Happily filled the same position behind Alpha Centauri in last Sunday's Irish 1000 Guineas with Soliloquy (sixth at Newmarket) fourth so the form looks merely okay while the Boussac, in which she went off a 25-1 chance, hasn't been boosted at all..
Wild Illusion's pedigree (out of a Monsun mare who won over two miles) suggests longer distances will suit, but I'm not quite convinced she has much in hand over her rivals.
At better odds, PERFECT CLARITY could be open to greater improvement after just two career starts and a really taking victory in the Lingfield Oaks Trial.
The Clive Cox-trained daughter of Nathaniel (sire of last year's winner Enable) showed a very genuine attitude to beat the unexposed Cecchini and the Aidan O'Brien-trained Flattering (who re-opposes and had won her previous start by a wide margin) and she looks the sort who will relish this test.
The time of the Lingfield race was only fractionally slower than that recorded by the now 111-rated Knight To Behold in the colts trial half an hour later suggesting Perfect Clarity's current rating of 100 may seriously under-estimate her while her listed placed dam Clarietta, out of the smart John Dunlop-trained race-mare Claxon, handled the soft.
Moreover, Cox has become an outstanding producer of winners and it is only a matter of time before he bags a Classic. This could be it.
With five of the nine runners, O'Brien is certainly well represented with Magic Wand, the mount of Ryan Moore, looking the number one contender after her front-running win in the Cheshire Oaks in which she pulled readily clear in the straight from stable-companion Forever Together who met with interference.
The daughter of Galileo, closely related to Irish Oaks winner Chicquita, is certainly bred for the job and could be hugely progressive especially as she looked a little green in front at Chester showing a slight tendency to edge right round some of the turns. The form is hard to assess though third placed Princess Yaiza had previously finished only third in a listed race at Navan.
O'Brien's next-best contender is probably Bye Bye Baby who made all in testing conditions at The Curragh last month from Dermot Weld's filly Jaega who had been impressive on her previous start.
Wayne Lordan's mount beat the 1000 Guineas fifth Altyn Orda (improved
subsequently) at Newmarket last September and cannot be discounted with stamina and ground unlikely to be a problem.
Musidora Stakes winner Give And Take (Ejtyah third) may have to improve again as she has an official rating of just 97, 16lb lower than Wild Illusion who beat her last year, while her Sandown conqueror in April, Crystal Hope, has been well beaten since.
Earlier, AJMAN KING will start favourite for the Investec Wealth and Investment Handicap after an impressive course and distance success in April when quickening up well to beat Dash Of Spice with the re-opposing Another Touch third.
Up just 5lb now, Roger Varian's colt looks easily the most progressive horse in the field and will handle the ground.
Posted at 1140 BST on 31/05/18.
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