The Irish Oaks remains one of the most prestigious races in Irish racing and 14 runners have assembled for the Curragh’s mid-summer highlight for three-year-old middle-distance fillies.
With impressive Oaks heroine Ezeliya shipped off to the paddocks after a season-ending injury, this year's running has a more open feel than is often the case.
Our man Clive Gildon assesses the big race, giving his opinion on where the value is along with a back-up play.
Defending Champions Look Strong
3.10 - Juddmonte Irish Oaks (Group 1, 1m4f)
The Irish Oaks market received a shake-up following final declarations on Thursday with Content usurping Port Fairy as the favourite.
The reason for that was Ryan Moore’s decision to ride stablemate Content instead. That decision is of little surprise, with Content’s staying-on third in the Pretty Polly last time behind Bluestocking and Emily Upjohn probably representing the best form.
There is plenty of rain forecast at the Curragh and Content is proven on a slower surface, albeit not over a trip this far. She shaped as if 1m4f would be well worth exploring last time, although her dam was a Nunthorpe winner and a strongly run affair asks questions of her.
That should be in the pipeline with tearaway front-running filly You Got To Me berthed in stall two. Ralph Beckett went close to winning this in 2023 with Bluestocking and You Got To Me possesses plenty of talent, although she needs to race more professionally.
The keen-going daughter of Nathaniel pulled well clear in the Ribblesdale last time, doing too much too soon, but once her long lead from the rest eroded, she kept on to retain fourth in the manner of a smart filly.
That race yielded a 96.4 per cent finishing speed - meaning the closing stages were run at a slower speed than the average of the entire race - and came in a time one second faster than the earlier King George V Stakes, so You Got To Me’s performance deserves respect. She might be up to reversing that form with winner Port Fairy if racing more efficiently.
However, War Chimes could be the answer for David Menuisier, who richly deserves a change of fortunes after a sequence of near-misses in Classics.
Slower terrain holds no fears for wide-margin heavy-ground juvenile Listed winner War Chimes, who proved she stays 1m4f on her first attempt at the distance when third to Ezeliya in the Oaks. There is surely nothing of the winner's standing here.
That career-best performance from War Chimes came despite a wide trip and there should be more to come from this daughter of Summer Front.
War Chimes will need luck from her draw in stall ten, but is likely to be held up and top rider Seamie Heffernan can be trusted to plot a sensible path in a race likely to be run at a sound pace. She could be coming nicely to the boil.
