Get in on the Act in Oaks
Her best performance as a two-year-old came in the Group One Neon Valley Stud Fillies Mile at Ascot in September. John Gosden’s charge made all the running to beat high-class Maids Causeway and one of her chief rivals now, Dash To The Top, by a length and three parts of a length.
She has been very slow to come to come to hand this campaign, but was solidly supported to make a winning return in a Group Two at Haydock earlier in the month.
Playful Act duly did the business, staying on dourly, off an unsuitably slow pace, to beat two ordinary rivals a head and the same.
Of course the selection will have to step up considerably on that effort, but the likelihood is she will come on a bundle.
There are plenty of others for the short list, led by Dash For Top, who made an impressive seasonal debut when scoring by two and a half lengths at Newcastle.
French challenger, Shawanda, Irish 1000 Guineas heroine, Saoire, and Pictavia, third in an Epsom Oaks which isn’t working out particularly well, all rate chances. Playful Act will very much do for me.
Aidan O’Brien can enjoy a double with Aussie Rules and Hitchcock.
Aussie Rules looked a horse for the future when making a winning start at headquarters and can step up in class in the Group Three Anglesey Stakes.
Hitchcock, a Giant’s Causeway half-brother to Belmont Stakes winner, Editor’s Note, gets the nod in the Jumeirah Maiden.
Cloneden, the mount of the capable Katie Walsh, had far from a clear run when third to Skerries at Naas in June and is napped to land the Thalgo Ladies Derby Handicap.
At the Curragh today, Oh How Lovely and Aliceinwonderland promise a fascinating start to the weekend in the ladbrokes.ie EBF Fillies Maiden.
Oh How Lovely certainly didn’t enjoy the run of the race when beaten a short head Modeeroch at Naas and will relish this extra furlong.
Aliceinwonderland made a cracking start when runner-up behind subsequent Newmarket Cherry Hinton winner, Donna Blini, at Newmarket. But that was over three months ago and Oh How Lovely is preferred.
Democratic Deficit, given a nice break since scrambling home from the useful Zarad at Leopardstown, gets the vote to defy top weight in the ladbrokes.ie International Stakes.
Visit Wexford, raised 8lbs for a length and a half defeat of Coral Dawn at the Curragh, can make light of that in what appears to be a less than competitive ladbrokes.ie Best Prices Handicap.
