Ante-Post Betting Preview: The Investec Epsom Oaks

Events / Wayne Bailey / 26 May 2009 / Leave a Comment

Wayne Bailey takes a look at the early betting for the third British classic of the season...

Sariska
Timeform have marked her down as an improver and judging by her Musidora Stakes win at York, I'd definitely agree with that assertion. Before that race, she traded around the [10.5] mark for the Oaks, and I see that some lucky punter(s) have been matched ante-post at [75.0] - a very nice position to be in now! A couple of people questioned whether she would handle the trip at York, but she loved the extra distance and should have no problem with the 1m4f in the Oaks. To be honest, I'm finding it difficult to come up with negatives although her speed figure is not overly impressive. She should definitely be in contention but [4.6] is a little too short with just under two weeks to go.

Rainbow View
Fifth place in the 1,000 Guineas can hardly be called a flop, but it was little comfort to those who backed her to win at [1.75]! It's difficult to say what went wrong, but Jimmy Fortune was convinced that the ground let her down and a bit of cut would be welcome. She had built a nice picket fence beside her name and perhaps her backers got carried away a little. Trainer John Gosden said she came out of the race fine and is in great form at home. So is she worth a second chance? I believe so. A few race readers have suggested that she was 'found out' at Newmarket and isn't quite as classy as we expected, but I'm willing to give her a cautious thumbs up to prove her worth at Epsom. She'll need the ground to be in her favour so I'll wait until raceday before placing a bet. It's a tricky one to call, but her current price of [5.5] looks about right.

Midday
She's a half-sister to 1997 Oaks winner Reams of Verse, and won the totesportcasino.com Oaks Trial Stakes at Lingfield (pictured) with some authority - but she's a little short at [6.4] and I'd rather take a watching brief with her for now. Her chances will be enhanced if the ground comes up on the firmer side of good but the step up from Listed company to Group one racing is a big one, and she may find herself out of her depth. She's a smart horse and I wouldn't be amazed if she's placed, but at her current price I'm happy to click pink in the win market.

Again
I'm a big fan of this Danehill Dancer filly and she proved once again how versatile she is when winning the Irish 1,000 Guineas in heavy ground on Sunday. She's also clocked up wins on good-to-firm and also soft - so she's one of those rare horses that can be backed ante-post without fear of the ground. But my advice would be to keep your money in your pocket as there are doubts hanging over her participation. The bookmakers are offering [8.0], but her price of [22.0] on Betfair tells its own story and David Wachman hasn't made a final decision as yet: "She seems fine and Epsom is definitely still a possible. We will leave a decision until late...I want to see what Michael (Tabor) and John (Magnier) want to do in terms of their other options for the race."
If she runs, she has claims but it's too early to take a chance on backing her at this early stage.

Beauty O'Gwaun
John Oxx is in good form this season, so Beauty O'Gwaun commands respect. It's also worth noting that the County Kildare-based handler has a good record when sending horses across the water, and has actually shown a reasonable level stakes profit if followed in the past five years. She won a Group three race at Naas last month, but this is a different ball game altogether and she may also find herself out of her depth. She's a possible place contender but [11.5] for the win is just a little short.