YESTERDAY TO BREAK O´BRIEN´S OAKS HOODOO

The Darley Irish Oaks is one of the few Group 1´s to have escaped Aidan O´Brien in an already brilliant training career but Yesterday can put the record straight by taking the mile and a half fillies classic at the Curragh on Sunday.

The daughter of Sadler´s Wells has a classic success to her credit by virtue of a superb tactical ride by Michael Kinane to upset French hot-pot Six Perfections here in the Entenmann´s Irish 1,000 Guineas. However she is also trying to avoid repeating her full-sister Quarter Moon who filled the runner-up berth in the Oaks both here and at Epsom last year.

Kinane was probably a bit mindful of Quarter Moon´s quirky nature when covering up Yesterday until the closing stages of the Vodafone Oaks, and she certainly appeared an unlucky loser when finishing strongly to get within a neck of Casual Look. In hindsight, Yesterday is probably a lot more ´straight forward´ than her sister, and some heavy rain during the week has further boosted her chance.

Casual Look is again in opposition, and Andrew Balding´s charge merits great respect. She also stayed the trip well and is a very genuine and tough filly. Spanish Sun is an interesting contender having made a belated seasonal debut at Royal Ascot, and soundly defeated a number of the Oaks runners in the Ribblesdale Stakes. Sir Michael Stoute has a great record in this race and is bidding for his seventh victory with the unbeaten filly.

The connections of Snippets have made the bold move to supplement her at a cost of 40,000 euro, and the Jim Bolger-trained filly may reverse Pretty Polly Stakes placings with Hanami over this extra quarter mile.

The Emirates Airline Minstrel Stakes is the main supporting event on an eight race card, and Perfect Touch may be up to the task having taken a Group 3 in fine style at Leopardstown last Saturday evening.

Alan Magee