SOMETHING Exciting (4.10) bids to live up to her name by storming to victory in today's Group 1 Vodafone Oaks.

This year's mile-and-a-half fillies' Classic, worth in excess of £222,000 to the winner, is a particularly strong renewal, although sadly there's not one single representative from our region.

David Elsworth, the Hampshire-based trainer of Something Exciting, has an extremely strong hand of three-year-olds, immediately declaring the Epsom showpiece as the target for his filly after she had comprehensively outgunned her rivals in the Lupe Stakes at Goodwood.

"We brought her along slowly at the beginning of her two-year-old career and she's done nothing but improve with experience," said Elsworth, who also has a leading contender, The Geezer, in tomorrow's Derby.

So, it could be the start of a smashing weekend for the Elsworth team. However, precisely what credentials does Something Exciting bring to the race which includes 1000 Guineas heroine, Virginia Waters and the heavily-backed market leaders, Eswarah, and Cassydora?

In my opinion the answer rests with her undoubted touch of class - a prerequisite to win any event of this heady standard, together with the fact she's a beautifully-balanced individual, well capable of handling Epsom's devilishly difficult twists and turns.

In addition, unlike a couple of her principal rivals, Something Exciting possesses an abundance of fuel when it comes to the stamina stakes, ensuring she'll get the trip while others leak oil in closing stages.

The other Group 1 contest on the card, the £250,000 Coronation Cup, is fancied to fall for the third time to Warrsan (3.30).

Clive Brittain's stable-star pleased his veteran Newmarket trainer with a six-furlong spin on Tuesday morning. "He's in great form and we go into the race with plenty of confidence," said Brittain.

An each-way saver on Mark Johnston's ultra-consistent entire, Bandari, wouldn't go amiss either. "Bandari's beaten lots of Group 1 horses in the past, but he's never won a big one, let's hope this is it," revealed the Middleham handler.

Punters will have a tough time trying to make money in the handicaps at Thirsk where huge fields make winner-finding even more arduous.

In search of some decent each-way value, Petite Mac (5.00), almost certain to go off at 16-1 or better in the Sowerby Welter Fillies Stakes, looks a definite possibility.

Apprentice jockey Suzanne France, who won on the selection off a 4lb lower mark at Ripon in August 2003, gets on well with Petite Mac, staying on fourth over the course and distance 11 days ago.

Perhaps a slightly easier race to crack is the preceding mile-and-a-half Anthony Fawcett Memorial Handicap.

Top-weight, Patronage, often makes the frame but rarely gets his head in front where it counts, therefore preference is for Last Pioneer (4.25), third to a pair of useful handicappers, John Forbes and Along The Nile, at Hamilton last time out.

Sunday's game Newmarket scorer, Vortex (7.20), makes a quick reappearance at Goodwood's evening meeting.

"He's bucking and squealing after that win," revealed his trainer Gay Kelleway, whose horses have really hit top gear over the past few days.

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