Options open for Midday

Plans are fluid for Henry Cecil’s Investec Oaks runner-up Midday as the dust settles on the fillies’ Classic.

A facile winner of the Lingfield Oaks Trial before Epsom, the Khalid Abdullah-owned filly was slightly hampered before going down by a head to Michael Bell’s Sariska.

The Oasis Dream filly has options at Royal Ascot, in Ireland and also in France but she would need to be supplemented for the Irish Oaks.

“No decision has yet been made as to where she goes next,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for Abdullah.

“She’s in the Ribblesdale, she’ll be in the Prix de Malleret (Saint-Cloud, June 28) but she’s not in the Irish Oaks at the moment.

“She’s come out of the race well, she ate up and she’s in good form.”

Haydock’s Lancashire Oaks could be on the agenda for the Barry Hills-trained High Heeled following her fine effort to finish one place behind Midday in third.

Connections said in the immediate aftermath of that performance that they may consider supplementing her for the Irish Oaks, but a trip to Merseyside on July 4 now looks a more likely destination.

“We were absolutely delighted with her and she has come out of the race just like you would want her to,” said Hills’ son and assistant, Charlie.

“We will just take our time and a race like the Lancashire Oaks could be a possibility. We’ll just gauge it and she how she is. We don’t want to rush into anything too quickly.

“I don’t think she’ll go for the Irish Oaks.”