Princess Highway

21st-Jun-2012

I think that The Fugue is far too short here, as I suspected she would be after everyone seemed to think she was by far the unluckiest filly in The Oaks. She was unlucky, true, but she was no more unlucky than Kailani or Maybe or Coquet were, and Shirocco Star finished in front of her. As well as that, the softening ground will surely be against her. Because of The Fugue’s short price, several of her rivals are over-priced in my book ...

... I am also backing Princess Highway (as well as Kailani). Like last year’s Ribblesdale winner Banimpire, Princess Highway won the Group 3 Blue Wind Stakes at Naas as a prelude to coming to Ascot. She had impressed in beating the highly-talented Betterbetterbetter in a 10-furlong maiden at Leopardstown on her previous run, but she stepped forward on that to win the Blue Wind, keeping on well to beat Aaraas and subsequent Oaks winner Was.

Okay, so Was probably improved for that run, and she did have the run of the race at Epsom, but on that strict line of form, Princess Highway has the beating of all the Oaks fillies today, and it is probable that she will also have improved significantly from her Naas run. Dermot Weld trained Princess Highway’s dam, Irresistible Jewel to win the Ribblesdale, and it is probable that he has had the race in mind for her daughter for quite a while.

PRINCESS HIGHWAY WON (SP 17/2)

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