Vodafone Oaks Betting Preview (June 2nd)

Sir Michael Stoute added yet another string to his bow for the forthcoming fillies' Classic, the Vodafone Oaks on June 2, when the lightly-raced Short Skirt produced a power-packed finish to overhaul odds-on favourite Alexandrova in the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York's Dante meeting. The daughter of Diktat, who impressed on her debut last season but the disappointed when sent off favourite for the Rockfel Stakes on her only other outing as a juvenile, has plenty of stamina on the dam's side of her pedigree and, judging by the way she came home in this ten-furlong Oaks trial, she looks certain to improve further still when upped to a mile and a half at Epsom. Stoute, who has four in the top ten in the ante-post betting for this contest - the others being Riyalma, Scottish Stage and Sindarana - has not had a great deal of luck in this race in recent years, but judging on the substance of the quartet he has to choose from in this year's renewal, there is every chance that Freemason Lodge-based handler may break the mini hoodoo on Ladies' Day at the Surrey venue. Aidan O'Brien's Alexandrova still heads the betting on most bookies' lists, although, to the naked eye, it's hard to see why she should reverse the placings with Short Skirt, whom she was beaten fair and square by at York and, moreover, there has to be a doubt about the Ballydoyle raider staying twelve furlongs at Epsom. O'Brien also has Rumplestiltskin, who flopped when favourite for the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, among his entries. However, there too must be a doubt surrounding her stamina, as she is by Danehill, out of a Mr Prospector mare, a pedigree which has miler written all over it. Speciosa, the heroine of the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, is clearly as tough as teak and it would be foolish to overlook her, although she does possess plenty of natural speed and, like Rumplestiltskin, her pedigree doesn't instill confidence that she'll stay twelve furlongs.