Oaks trip Maybe an issue
The 19-year-old is excited at the prospect of partnering the daughter of Galileo, who heads a strong team of fillies from his father Aidan’s stable in the fillies’ Classic.
O’Brien jnr was convinced Maybe would stay the eight furlongs of the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, in which she finished a staying-on third, but this extra half a mile is another matter.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to her. She ran a good race to finish third in the Guineas, just ahead of The Fugue, so on that form she’d have to have a big chance.
“The trip is obviously a massive question mark. She’s stepping up from a mile to a mile and a half and half a mile is a long way.
“After riding her at Newmarket, I’d like to think she’ll stay further than a mile, but whether she’ll get the mile and a half or not is another thing.
“It’s hard to know what kind of improvement there will be.
“Some horses improve for a step up in trip – some horses go backwards – so we’ll just have to see.
“She’s a Group One-winning filly and hopefully she can run a big race.”
Aidan O’Brien, who has won the Oaks three times, has declared five other fillies – Betterbetterbetter, Devotion, Kissed, Twirl and Was.
Ryan Moore won on Snow Fairy two years ago and is hoping Kissed gets the go-ahead.
She will only run if the Coolmore team deem conditions are suitable.
“My logic is that if Aidan thinks the ground is suitable, then I think she will have a big chance of winning,” the jockey told www.betting.betfair.com.
“Clearly, her high knee action suggests she needs to get her toe in. But Andrew Cooper is the best clerk of the course in the country, and he will provide beautiful ground at Epsom on Friday.
“And I think Kissed is tailor-made for the race.
“I think she is a high-class filly. Being drawn 14 of 14 isn’t ideal, though.
“I would prefer to be drawn in the middle. But it’s my job to solve that problem. I just hope that I get the chance.”
