2013 Investec Oaks Betting Preview Part 2

You do reckon there will be a number of punters trying to beat her though, with Moth and Liber Nauticus trading just behind her at 3/1 price tags. Moth chased home Sky Lantern to finish third by two lengths in the 1000 Guineas and she really did endure a tough trip on the day - something that may have prevented her from genuinely doing her best. She was steadied at the start and then had some traffic trouble as they were getting down to the business end of the contest - she surged late and showed a good turn of foot, as well as a good deal of bravery, to do her best to chase home the impressive Sky Lantern. 

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Nothing more than a maiden winner at the Curragh, she will be looking to make a real impression for O’Brien and the Magniers. 

Liber Nauticus comes out of the Sir Michael Stoute yard and she’s undefeated in his two efforts so far. She captured the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York and looked good doing so - scoring by a length and a half. A workmanlike victory showed that this contender has a lot to prove going forward but Musidora winners have generally gone on to acquit themselves well in the classic contests. The mile and a quarter distance, combined with the class showed when finishing the race, indicates that she will have a lot more in the tank when this race rolls around. You do wonder about her ability to run to her best only two weeks later, she only has a maiden score at Goodwood to her credit. 

Kieran Fallon pilots Banoffee, who is by Hurricane Run, out of an Anabaa mare, and there is a lot to like about this one despite only two runs to her credit. The last contest was a listed score at Chester with victory coming over another runner in the Epsom Oaks, Gertrude Versed. Punters will find Banoffee priced at 9/1 and looking an interesting outsider. These are the types of races that Fallon is good at sneaking so there is some real credibility to the presence of Hughie Morrison’s impressive filly. 

She was raced towards the back of the field in that contest and, with most of the better runners expected to be deployed mid-pack or in stalking positions around the frontrunner, a solid early pace may make this one especially dangerous. If Fallon can find a seam, and she is able to move forward and genuinely tangle with Group 1’s, this one could be the play.