Classy Michita enters Oaks equation
Michita is just 10-1 for the Juddmonte Oaks with Blue Square after her devastating performance in the Height of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood.
Love Divine was the last filly to complete the double at the turn of the millennium, and the layers were suitably impressed with John Gosden’s filly after her four-and-a-half-length success.
Coral offer 14s while VC Bet and William Hill are 16s for the Classic after the daughter of Dynaformer quickened well two furlongs out to collect at odds of 5-1 under Jimmy Fortune.
Gosden said: “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 her first run at 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 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 an outing 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.
McConnell rewarded market support when backed in to 9-2 from his morning odds of 11-1 on his second outing for Gary Moore in the Alan Ball Memorial Handicap.
