Vodafone Oaks Betting Preview - Gobble up 9/2 About Galatee

May 30, 2006 Irish trainer Jim Bolger sent out Jet Ski Lady to absolutely dot up in the 1991 Epsom Oaks and the Coolcullen handler can strike in this year's renewal of the Vodafone-sponsored fillies' Classic with 9/2 shot Galatee.
 
The daughter of Galileo has a similar profile to last season's heroine Eswarah, who was also unraced as a juvenile, and went into the mile-and-a-half contest unbeaten.
 
Incredibly, Galatee wasn't even entered for this contest last week, but connections have supplemented her, which probably has much to do with the fact that it looks nigh-on certain that there will be a fair amount of juice in the ground at the Surrey venue on Friday, and she is now second favourite behind compatriot Alexandrova.
 
The selection has only raced on Yielding to soft going thus far, which seems to suit her, although as long as the ground doesn't dry out to the point that it's faster than good, then Galatee shouldn't be at all inconvenienced by underfoot conditions.
 
After a facile debut success, Galatee landed a Listed event at Gowran Park before really impressing in a Group 3 at Naas on May 17 when comfortably beating some smart older fillies, including Allexina and Chelsea Rose, by upwards of three and a half lengths. Admittedly, she was in receipt of a fair amount weight-for-age from the aforementioned four-year-olds, but it was a taking performance nevertheless, especially for one so inexperienced.
 
She has yet to race beyond ten furlongs, but the half-sister to Breeders' Cup Classic winner Arcangues shapes as though the step up to twelve furlongs will bring about further improvement and, as a well-balanced filly who travels well and has a good turn of foot, she looks tailor made for this test.
 
Personally, I cannot understand why Alexandrova is favourite for this. She was outpointed fair and square by Short Skirt in the Musidora at York and, even allowing for the prospect of her coming on for that reappearance, and perhaps appreciating what is likely to be better ground, she hasn't done enough in my book to warrant her odds of a best-priced 7/2.
 
She was catapulted to favouritism for this last season when failing by a short-head to get the better of Nannina in the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket, which was a sound effort. However, the form of that race looks pretty substandard now, despite the fact that the fourth home, Nasheej, was third in the 1000 Guineas.
 
Aidan O'Brien, who sent out Shahtoush and Imagine to win this in 1998 and '01 respectively, also has Kushnarenkovo and Queen Cleopatra entered, but all three of his intended runners, in my opinion, need to improve dramatically to figure.
 
Short Skirt looked all at sea three furlongs out in the Musidora Stakes but she came home really strongly to score by a length and a quarter, shaping as though the extra distance in the Oaks will suit her down to the ground.
 
However, of Sir Michael Stoute's three entries, the others being Riyalma and Scottish Stage, it's Riyalma that looks the one best equipped to make an impact in this Group 1 event, especially of the ground comes up on the soft side of good.
 
As you would expect of a daughter of Selkirk, she relished the testing conditions when beating Bunood by two and a half lengths in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket on 1000 Guineas day, a race which Ouija Board won en route to landing the penultimate Vodafone Oaks.
 
On the bare form, Riyalma has a fair bit to find, but given that she's only had two starts thus far it's perfectly reasonable to suspect that she has much more to offer. Scottish Stage, meanwhile, didn't do enough when winning her trial - the Swettenham Stud Fillies' Trial Stakes at Newbury on May 19 - to merit serious consideration in this race, to my mind.
 
I realise that people have consistently written Speciosa off and, given the authority with which she won the 1000 Guineas, it would plain foolish to dismiss her lightly. But she possesses so much natural speed, as her pedigree suggests she might, and I just cannot envisage her seeing out the four-furlong farther trip.
 
Guilia would be a shorter price if she hailed from a more fashionable stable than that of Rae Guest after running Scottish Stage so close at Newbury but, along with Time On, who looked smart when decisively landing the Cheshire Oaks on the Roodee, I reckon that they will find this too hot.
 
Verdict - 2pts Galatee @ 9/2 with Betfred

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