PAM SLY could strike another massive blow for the underdogs if Speciosa (4.05) adds this afternoon's £375,000 Epsom Oaks to her triumph in the 1,000 Guineas.
Sly has been fiddling around with mainly modest jumping horses since obtaining her licence in 1987, so the fact she produced Speciosa to beat the superpowers of the training fraternity at Newmarket was a breath of fresh air for the sport.
One thing's for sure, Speciosa's Group 1 heroics were anything but a fluke and the way she cleared right away from the opposition suggests the filly could be as effective over today's extra four furlongs.
The Cambridgeshire-based handler, who mixes training with Fenland farming, happily owns a third share in her stable-star and helped stump up the £20,000 needed to supplement Speciosa for the Oaks.
"You've got to gamble sometimes and anyway she won't lose any value if she does get beaten. There's no pressure now, the hard work was getting her fit for Newmarket through the winter," she explained.
The preceding Coronation Cup features a fascinating clash between three of the Flat racing world's heavyweights, Ace, Shirocco, and Ouija Board (3.25).
Ouija Board, the winner of the 2004 Oaks, also boasts a Breeders Cup meeting victory, as does Shirocco, who achieved a similar feat at Belmont in 2005 when edging out Ace to collect the Grade 1 John Deere Stakes.
According to all known evidence the highly rated trio should dominate the finish of the mile-and-a-half event, with for my money, Ouija Board the one to back in the hope of upsetting certain odds-on market leader, Shirocco.
Pick A Nice Name (3.35) has the ideal draw in stall one to maintain her 100per cent unbeaten record by winning Catterick's top race, the £12,000 Leslie Petch Handicap.
Richard Whitaker's filly cracked her pelvis as a two-year-old and as a result had to endure 15 months box rest, nevertheless, as is so often the case, patience paid off and she made a belated winning debut at Redcar 18 days ago.
Catterick's left-handed six furlong track is far removed from the equivalent straight course at Redcar, but seeing as Pick A Nice Name is ideally positioned to hug the inside rail, she already holds a head start.
Keith Reveley's Celtic Carisma (4.50) ran too badly to be true on a fruitless visit to Newcastle in May, therefore she might be worth another chance in the Go Racing In Yorkshire Handicap.
Celtic Carisma got a bit messed around with on the home turn at the Tyneside venue, after which she didn't seem to show a great deal of interest and certainly failed to live up to her previous facile Southwell success.
For the nap we go to lowly Wolverhampton where Starboard Light (3.05) could the pick of a poor lot for the World Bet Handicap.
Starboard Light showed a glimmer of ability for Bill Turner last year, but it was her initial outing when third over course and distance for new handler, Ralph Beckett, which really catches the eye.
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