Mona Lisa out to book classic ticket

Mona Lisa could tighten Aidan O’Brien’s grip on the Vodafone Oaks if she opens her account in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York tomorrow.

The daughter of Giant’s Causeway is one of the best maidens in training judged on her fourth in the Fillies’ Mile at Ascot last autumn.

She did end her two-year-old campaign on a disappointing note, however, when well-beaten in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Lone Star Park.

She is a best-priced 33-1 for the Epsom fillies’ Classic while her stablemate Virginia Waters, winner of the 1000 Guineas, heads the market at around 3-1.

Said O’Brien: “We gave her a lot of time to recover (after she ran in America) and this will be her first start of the season.

“She’s been working away the last couple of months. She’s ready to start and will improve for the run.”

The other Irish-trained filly among the six-strong field for tomorrow’s Group Three contest over an extended 10 furlongs is Fuerta Ventura, who has won all her three starts this season.

The Ken Condon-trained filly was two and a half lengths behind Mona Lisa when they finished second and third behind subsequent Newmarket 1000 sixth Saoire in a Leopardstown maiden last August.

Condon believes his charge, who only cost €3,200 as a yearling, has progressed but has it all to do on the ratings after winning a maiden and two handicaps.

“She’s improved from two to three but I imagine she’ll be the most exposed of them all,” he said.

“She’s rated 89 so she’s got to improve a lot more in this class. We were hoping that the race would cut up to give us a chance of reaching a place.

“She’s won her last three races on testing ground in Ireland. She acts on it and soft ground tomorrow might inconvenience some of the others.

“She’ll need every yard of the trip and we’ll step her up to a mile and a half at some point.”

Apart from Mona Lisa, the other Musidora runner entered in the Vodafone Oaks is the impeccably-bred Quickfire.

From the only crop of the brilliant but ill-fated Dubai Millennium out of a Sadler’s Wells mare, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained filly won a seven-furlong maiden at Kempton last September on the second of her two starts. She is available at 33-1 for Epsom.

Tomorrow’s line-up is completed by Mark Johnston’s Secret History, the Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained Play Me and Treble Seven from Clive Brittain’s stable.