Barry Mahon (centre)© Photo Healy Racing
Siyola has the chance to add her name to the Betfred Oaks picture when she runs in the Haras De Bouquetot Fillies’ Trial Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
Held in high regard by her John and Thady Gosden training team, the daughter of Siyouni created a taking impression when scoring on debut at Sandown.
That earned the Juddmonte-owned filly a ‘win and you’re in’ ticket to the Oaks at Epsom and having seen the form of her Sandown success given a timely boost by Musidora scorer Secret Satire, connections view this Listed event as the perfect spot to step up in class and put Classic aspirations to the test.
“Her form got well franked at York, which is always nice to see. She’s a nice filly who won a nice maiden and it’s time to step up and see if we’re up to taking on something better or not,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for the owners, who saw their Bluestocking narrowly beaten in this race last year.
“I don’t think any soft ground will be an inconvenience to her unless it gets really deep ground, it’s an unknown but good to soft or soft should be fine.
“Ylang Ylang ran a lovely Oaks trial in the Guineas, Ralph Beckett had a nice filly win at Chester and the filly who won at York looked nice, but there hasn’t been a standout and it looks an open enough Oaks.
“We’re rolling the dice and hoping we can jump into that mix and if we’re not good enough, we will have to lower our sights.”
High-class fillies Warm Heart and Nashwa are the two most recent winners of this 10-furlong event, while William Haggas’ Sea Of Class is another top-level filly to graduate to better things after this contest.
Charlie Appleby’s Diamond Rain definitely has the pedigree to follow suit and showed she possesses plenty of ability on debut at Ascot, while Roger Varian won with Eshaada in 2021 and hopes to learn plenty about the well-entered Ejaabiyah who could bolt into Classic contention.
Varian said: “We think she’s nice, but she has only run the once. She’s a filly we have quite a lot of faith in and hold in quite high regard.
“This looks a good starting point and this will give us a steer where we head next, she’s well entered up. She’s got plenty of quality and I’m looking forward to getting her back on track.”
The other Listed action on the card is the Highclere Castle Gin Carnarvon Stakes where James’s Delight attempts to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner Shaquille having won the same Newmarket handicap earlier this month.
He is one of two runners for trainer Clive Cox alongside the three-year-old filly Symbology and he is hoping conditions allow both of his candidates to get involved at the finish.
He said: “We’ve got a little bit of uncertainty with the rainfall predicted, but James’s Delight has made a wonderful start to the season winning at Pontefract and then when up 5lb at Newmarket on Guineas day.
“He’s in excellent form and will cope with any ease in the ground. I’m happy for him to take the step up to Listed company now he’s rated 102.
“Symbology makes her seasonal reappearance and is a filly we have always held in high regard and she brings some very good form with her from last season. She has done very well from two to three.
“I still have plenty of confidence she is a nice filly and I just hope conditions don’t get too soft for her so she can show her potential and class we believe she has.”
Shaquille, of course, was a notable performer for the north last season and another hoping to fill those boots is the unbeaten Pocklington who puts his Royal Ascot credentials to the test for Yorkshire handler Geoff Oldroyd.
“I think he will run a big race and he has trained well. He has probably improved and got stronger since his last run,” said Oldroyd.
“The main danger we have is we could do with good ground really, or quicker, so we’re hoping it dries up and he wouldn’t want soft ground.
“He’s fit and well and going there with a big chance, but his family all loved quick ground, so we just hope we don’t get rain.
“This is sort of a trial for Royal Ascot and if all goes well here, I would say that is where he will head.”
Relief Rally is another with a Commonwealth Cup objective as she drops back in trip to take on the colts, while Adaay In Devon has claims judged on her second to Jasour in the Pavilion Stakes on Royal Ascot Trials day.
Also returning to a sprinting distance is Eve Johnson Houghton’s Mister Sketch after the Mill Reef runner-up struggled to trouble the judge in the Greenham.
“William Buick got off after the Greenham and said seven furlongs may be within his compass later in the year, but he’s a big horse and he showed plenty of speed so we have dropped back to six and will give it a try,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing.
“He didn’t get the most ideal trip (through the race) in the Greenham, but it’s a very fast pedigree and I think we will see him back to his best at six.”
