IT has been 30 long years since a three-year-old filly won the King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes but unbeaten Eswarah (4.20) might well possess the necessary class to smash that long-standing hoodoo.
Successful in all three races to date, including her most recent famous triumph in last month's Epsom Oaks, Eswarah is in receipt of an invaluable 15lbs from all eleven of her rivals in the glittering £650,000 Group 1 mile-and-a-half contest.
Pedigree is often a pertinent parameter when assessing the prospects of any thoroughbred in such high-quality affairs, so the fact that the selection is a daughter of the mighty Unfuwain, out of Classic-winning mare Midway Lady, speaks volumes for her chances.
Trainer Michael Jarvis, who lets his horses do the talking rather than spouting off to the media at every available opportunity, was quietly confident Eswarah had the tools to do the job leading up to the Oaks, an opinion which was vindicated in no uncertain terms.
And there's more encouragement to be gleaned from the man in the saddle at Epsom, since jockey Richard Hills firmly believes that the Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned star has made further strides over the past few weeks.
"She worked very nicely last week and has come out of it very well," revealed Hills, who once again has been entrusted to steer the 7-1 shot in this afternoon's showpiece, which has been temporarily switched to Newbury during the redevelopment and upgrading of Ascot racecourse.
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