The Yorkshire Ebor Festival
continues at York Racecourse on Thursday featuring the Group 1 Darley Yorkshire
Oaks for fillies and mares over 1½ miles. Post time 10:40 a.m. EDT (4th race at
York).
Godolphin’s Blue Bunting and Jim Bolger's Banimpire face off in a rematch of
their head-bobbing duel in the Group 1 Irish Oaks at the Curragh in July.
Blue Bunting’s task at
York on Thursday has been
made easier as likely favorite Snow Fairy is a late absentee due to turf
conditions.
Blue Bunting will still face strong opposition
from the likes of Banimpire and Laughing
Lashes from the current Classic generation, as well as from the 6-year-old
Crystal Capella.
Blue Bunting’s rider Frankie Dettori blames
himself for the 1000 Guineas winner’s slightly disappointing fourth in the Group
1 Investec Oaks at Epsom, but feels the form of her victory in the Irish
equivalent gives her sound claims at York.
“She is a very tough filly. We were surprised
she had enough gears to win a (1000)
Guineas and it was probably not my
best hour in the Oaks,” Dettori said. “I redeemed myself in the Irish Oaks and
the form is rock solid, with the William Haggas horse [Dancing Rain] winning the
German Oaks, and [Banimpire] has won again.”
Laughing Lashes was beaten just three-quarters
of a length into fourth in the Irish Oaks and was arguably an unlucky loser as
jockey Frank Berry lost his whip with a furlong to run.
Her trainer Jessica Harrington said: “She’s
over there and seems to have travelled great. They tell me there is a bit of
juice in the ground and that will suit. Fran (
Berry ) dropped his whip in the Irish Oaks, but
these things happen unfortunately. It was so near yet so
far.”
Also on Thursday at
York , top 2-year-old fillies contest the Group 2 Lowther
Stakes over six furlongs at 9:30 a.m. (2nd race at
York).
Expect a bold showing from Angels Will Fall, one of the last
horses to be saddled by trainer
Barry
Hills before his pending retirement later
this month.