Michita storms into oaks shake-up

Seven days on from his Juddmonte Oaks candidate Dar Re Mi tasting defeat at York, John Gosden unearthed another possible contender as Michita strode away with the Height of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood.

The Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot is now the preferred target for Dar Re Mi, with Michita trading at just 10-1 with Blue Square for the Epsom fillies’ Classic.

Coral offer 14s while VC Bet and William Hill are 16s after the daughter of Dynaformer earned a crack at the same double Gosden’s Love Divine pulled off in 2000.

Jimmy Fortune was spotted travelling well on the 5-1 chance and his mount, a disappointment at Newbury last month, quickened away two furlongs out to record an impressive four-and-a-half-length success.

Gosden said: “We took her to Newbury to get a race into her and to get her to settle down.

“She came along from there and worked nicely afterwards, so we were expecting a good show.

“The trip is no problem and she will get a mile and a half, so Epsom is definitely on my mind.

“I thought she was very good. She improved from Newbury and I hope she can make the same improvement again.”

Gosden was soon back in the winner’s enclosure as Baby Houseman, named after a lead character in Dirty Dancing, unleashed a powerful turn of foot under Fortune to take the Evertonians Remember Alan Ball Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

Gosden added: “She is a character and is fun to be around.

“She is a nice little filly and I liked the way she quickened up.”

Fortune was to have a particularly fine afternoon in Sussex as the jockey registered a 428-1 treble when Richard Hannon’s Orchard Supreme (10-1) landed the concluding Congratulations To Portsmouth FC Stakes.

Brian Meehan is targeting Royal Ascot with the Sangster family’s City Leader after the grey came back to his best in the Listed David Wilson Homes Stakes.

Upped in trip to a mile and three furlongs for the first time, the Derby entry left his initial outing in the Craven well behind – but a trip to Epsom for the blue riband was immediately ruled out.

Jamie Spencer set the 3-1 chance alight down the sun-kissed home run and his mount picked up in pleasing fashion to hold on by three-quarters of a length from Scintillo.

Meehan said: “With being by Fasliyev we took our time with him and started off over a mile, which did him good.

“He had a good blow and a stretch after the Craven and came back well.

“Jamie said Epsom might not be his track and his owners aren’t short of Derby winners, so the King Edward VII is more likely.”

Further clues for the looming Festivals were on show in the EBF Alan Ball Supporters Maiden Fillies’ Stakes as Hannon’s newcomer Elusive Wave (4-1) slayed stablemate and 2-1 favourite Straitjacket by nearly four lengths.

Assistant trainer Richard Hannon jnr said: “She is a nice filly, but has had trouble in the stalls at home and has just come to herself in the last three weeks.

“She is a nice filly, though, and may go to the Albany at Royal Ascot.”

Andrew Balding’s Hatton Flight (5-1) struck for the second time in as many outings with a smooth success under William Buick in the Baker Tilly Stakes.

Balding said: “He is progressive and he might have a nice staying handicap in him, but he does need fast ground.”

McConnell rewarded market support when backed in to 9-2 from morning odds of 11-1 on his second outing for Gary Moore in the Alan Ball Memorial Handicap.