Godolphin confident of Oaks success

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor is confident that Godolphin’s royal blue silks will play a big part in the Vodafone Oaks at Epsom tomorrow.

Punctilious and Sundrop are the operation’s two entries in the fillies’ Classic and they head the seven-runner market.

“Both the fillies are in good form and are very well. They always work very well, are ready to run and I’m very happy with them,” said Bin Suroor.

“They are the first and second favourites and, with a bit of luck, we can win the Oaks.”

Only a short head separated the pair when they met in the Fillies’ Mile at Ascot last September, and although it was Sundrop who came out on top, Frankie Dettori has elected to ride Punctilious, the six-length winner of the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes.

“It is very difficult to choose between the two fillies as they are both very good, but in the end Frankie settled for Punctilious as she has improved an awful lot since the York race,” said Bin Suroor.

Sundrop was last seen when a fast-finishing second to Attraction in the UltimateBet.com 1000 Guineas and she will again be partnered by Godolphin’s new Australian ace Kerrin McEvoy.

McEvoy, who hails from Streaky Bay in Southern Australia, is no stranger to big-race victories as he landed the Melbourne Cup in 2000, and he is looking forward to riding in the prestigious contest.

“Epsom is the course I have most been looking forward to riding at,” said the 23-year-old. “The tracks back home are all dead flat and, while I have seen plenty of Epsom on television, it is such a unique course with all its undulations.”

The Ed Dunlop-trained Ouija Board continued to be supported today and was cut into 3-1 by Coral, while William Hill trimmed Aidan O’Brien’s unbeaten All Too Beautiful to 4-1 from 9-2.