Beckett planning Gesture workout

Secret Gesture will have just one serious workout before going for Classic glory in the Investec Oaks at Epsom on May 31.

Trainer Ralph Beckett is looking to give his impressive Lingfield Oaks Trial winner the necessary spin about a week before the big race.

“She’s A1 this morning, came out of the race fine and ate up. She lost a few kilos but nothing you wouldn’t expect,” Beckett told At The Races.

“She rolled round the bends and found it all very straight forward and all what we were hoping for.

“The way she moves, there is nothing to suggest she wants that (soft) ground.

“We’ve been minding her up until now. I just wanted to get her through yesterday.

“Now she’s stakes winner, we can relax a bit and get her to Epsom in the best possible shape and whatever happens, happens. We are in a position now to enjoy where we are rather than anything else.

“She didn’t thrive on her winter break back at Newsells (Park Stud) and there’s not a lot of her. She’s not a filly who needs a lot of work.

“I think she will probably need just one good bit of work between now and Epsom and we will look to get her there in the same sort of shape. She’s still got some way to go in her coat.

“We’ll probably give her that work a week before and I won’t ask for anything flash, just to get her to stretch her legs and have a nice blow.

“That is all I want to see from her. With her type you only need to see it once. There is no point in trying to look for it again. We saw it yesterday and we don’t need to see it again.”

Beckett has a second string to his Oaks bow in Talent, who booked her place when winning the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket last week.

“Talent is much more of the finished article. She’s a tough, hardy fully and ground it out at Newmarket. I think she will go round Epsom no problem and will handle the day,” said the Hampshire handler.

“It would be churlish of me to suggest there is nothing between them. Secret Gesture has always shown a bit more than Talent at home, but that doesn’t always make the difference.

“Epsom is unique and it isn’t always the brilliant workhorse that wins the race. It’s the one that handles the place best and I hope they are able to do that.

“Judged on yesterday’s evidence, Secret Gesture should and I’ve no real doubt that Talent won’t.”