Dubai Fountain on Oaks trail

HEIKH HAMDAN bin well-bred Dubawi filly, Darlectable You, up and felt the other horse on the side of Mohammed’s Dubai Fountain and Zeyaadah, a hitherto unbeaten her it game over. I just gave her a S (pictured above) raced her way Tamayuz filly who won the Listed couple of flicks to keep her up to the into the Oaks picture with an impressive Montrose Fillies Stakes last October. job.’ win in the Cheshire Oaks (for the Robert Despite starting as favourite, Dubai ‘It will be straight to Epsom,’ Sangster Memorial Cup) at Chester on Fountain was largely overlooked by the declared a delighted Mark Johnston May 5, writes JOHN SCANLON. Racing Post prior to the race, meriting after the race. Established in 1950, the Cheshire just one paragraph of their half-page ‘We’ve been saying throughout the Oaks has, over the years, become an preview of the race. last year we felt Dubai Fountain was an established trial for the Oaks at Epsom. Quenelle d’Or made the early running Oaks filly rather than a Guineas filly. Indeed, was the last horse to win under , with Franny Norton Franny felt it wasn’t her best both races when she struck in 2017. Run settling Dubai Fountain in second. performance, but it was good enough for over a trip of one mile, three furlongs Nicest and La Joconde followed, with me. She failed to win at Group level last and 75 yards, the race was relegated to Zeyaadah, Darlectable You and year but ran some good races. She Listed status (from Group 3) in 1986 Ahandfulofsummers racing in rear. finished just behind the subsequent and, since 2005, the Shaken up with two furlongs to run, Guineas winner over a mile, screaming Memorial Cup has been awarded to the Dubai Fountain struck for home, out for further, so it’s got to be the next winner of the race. pursued by Zeyaadah. The pair pulled step.’ The 2021 renewal of the Cheshire clear of the remainder in the closing Oaks attracted a field of seven runners, stages. Without being given a hard race, UBAI Fountain is by Teofilo four from Britain and three from Dubai Fountain kept on well to score by out of the Dubawi mare, Ireland. The Irish contingent consisted a length, with the third horse, Nicest, D Nafura. She is a half-sister to of Aidan O’Brien’s La Joconde, a almost five lengths in arrears. Leoncavallo, by , who won Frankel filly; Donnacha O’ Brien’s Winning jockey Franny Norton didn’t over two miles, so stamina for the Nicest, an American Pharoah filly out of have the easiest of rides. Epsom test is virtually guaranteed. an Irish Oaks winner who won a ‘I struggled to get her into a nice In the aftermath of the race, she was Leopardstown maiden; and Fozzy rhythm early on,’ the Liverpudlian quoted at 12/1 for the Epsom classic. Stack’s Group 3-placed filly, confessed, ‘and then it was stop start. I With the Chester race behind her, she handfulofsummers. had to shut down the gears and then looks sure to give a good account of The home team was headed by the pick them up again, but once she picked herself at Epsom on Friday, June 4. 7