Thirteen in Irish Derby field
Friday, 15 July 2005 17:0313 Fillies have been declared for the ¤400,000 Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh on Sunday. The lineup has an international character with one French and three English raiders. Of the English trio, Luca Cumani's Dash To The Top will carry Johnny Murtagh as he bids to claim his fourth Oaks since 1997. Playful Act (Jimmy Fortune), trained by John Gosden, and Thakafaat (Richard Hills), trained by John Dunlop complete the trio.
The Alain Royer-Dupre trained Shawanda, is one of three supplementary entries in the race. She comes here on the
back of three straight victories in France. She will be ridden by Belgian jockey Christophe Soumillon, who has the unhappy distinction of riding Dalakhani to his only defeat having followed a farcically strong pace in the Budweiser Irish Derby on The Curragh in 2003.
Jim Bolger's Pictavia is the shortest priced Irish trained filly after her fine third in the Epsom Oaks last month. Frances Crowley's Saoire, which will be ridden by her husband, Pat Smullen, is bidding to become the first filly since Godetia in 1979 to complete the Irish 1000 Guineas-Irish Oaks double after winning the Boylesports Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh in late May.
Other home trained notables are Chelsea Rose, Con Collins' Moyglare Stud Stakes winner of last year, Aidan O'Brien's Mona Lisa, John Oxx's Hazariya, and Kevin Prendergast's Right Key.
Declared Runners:- Allexina (Ire), Chelsea Rose (Ire), Dash To The Top (Eng), Hazariya (Ire), In The Ribbons (Ire), Lazy Marie (Ire), Mona Lisa (Ire), Pictavia (Ire), Playful Act (Eng), Right Key (Ire), Saoire (Ire), Shawanda (France), Thakafaat (Eng)
