15 TO LINE UP FOR INVESTEC OAKS AND 10 FOR CORONATION CUP 04.06.2010 EPSOM DOWNS RACECOURSE

LANIGAN EXCITED BY FIRST CLASSIC RUNNER AS 15 LINE UP FOR INVESTEC OAKS



SARISKA AND FAME POISED FOR FASCINATING CLASH IN INVESTEC CORONATION CUP



Final declarations have been made for the Investec Oaks and the Investec Coronation Cup, the two Group One contests at Epsom Downs on Friday, June 4, Investec Ladies Day. A field of 15 is set to line up in the £366,000 Investec Oaks (4.05pm) while 10 go to post in the £225,000 Investec Coronation Cup (2.45pm).



Totesport, the official betting partner of the Investec Derby Festival, makes Aviate the 9/2 market leader in the Investec Oaks. Aviate, along with Timepiece (6/1), is trained by Henry Cecil who is seeking a remarkable ninth success in the premier fillies’ Classic. If either of the two Khalid Abdulla-owned fillies were to prevail, it would make Cecil the second most successful trainer of all-time in the 12-furlong event behind Robert Robson, who trained a dozen winners between 1802 and 1825.



David Lanigan is looking forward to saddling his first Classic contender in the Investec Oaks at Epsom Downs on Friday, June 4, and the young trainer believes his charge Meeznah is no forlorn hope despite the 33/1 odds on offer with totesport.



Lanigan is no stranger to Classic preparations having assisted Cecil with the training of 2007 Investec Oaks heroine Light Shift.



Meeznah earned her place in the Epsom Downs line-up with an impressive nine-length victory in a Newmarket maiden over the distance on May 14, her first start since finishing a length behind this season’s Listed Swettenham Stud Fillies’ Trial Stakes heroine Principal Role in a Yarmouth maiden on October 20.



Lanigan revealed this morning: “Meeznah has done very well. The plan at the start of the year was to win her maiden and then go to one of the trials but she picked up a stone bruise back at the beginning of March and it took a little longer to clear up than we had anticipated.





“Our hand was forced to go to Newmarket for the mile and half maiden. I expected her to win there but she did it a little more comfortably than I thought. I would have liked to have seen the second come out and win the other day but Meeznah won the race easily by nine lengths so she could only do what she did.



“Her third at Yarmouth last year behind Principal Role has worked out well. She is a filly we have always thought a bit of and both her two-year-old races were solid contests.”



The Dynaformer filly, owned by Saif Ali and Saeed Al Tayer, has pleased Lanigan since breaking her maiden and he believes she will be unfazed by the unique Epsom Downs experience.



He continued: “Her home work has been fine and she did a piece of work last week with two nice fillies that was very encouraging, so we will see how we get on.



“The ground should be spot on for her and the way the weather is now, I think it will be ideal. You never know for sure whether they’ll handle the Epsom experience until you get them there but she is a good, big, strong, scopey filly and mentally she is very straightforward.



“Everything she has been through so far in her life suggests there is no reason why she should not handle the parade or the track. She is not a filly that gets highly-strung so we are we hopeful she will give a very good account of herself and it will be nice if we see her there at the death.”



Marcus Tregoning landed the 2006 Investec Derby with Sir Percy and has a tremendous chance of adding a second Epsom Classic to his CV with Rumoush, the 5/1 second favourite with totesport. She got the better of the colts in the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket in April before finishing seventh in the StanJames.com 1000 Guineas at Newmarket when she started from an unfavourable draw.



Aidan O’Brien, seeking a fourth Investec Oaks success following on from Shahtoush (1998), Imagine (2001) and Alexandrova (2006) is triply represented with Awe Inspiring (25/1), Cabaret (33/1) and Remember When (8/1). Stable jockey Johnny Murtagh has opted to ride the maiden Remember When, who finished a staying-on fourth last time out in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and is a three-parts sister to Dylan Thomas, who finished a close third in the 2006 Investec Derby.



There is further Irish representation from the Jim Bolger-trained Akdarena, (8/1) who got the better of older fillies when successful in the Group Three Blue Wind Stakes at Naas on May 12. Bolger is no stranger to Oaks success, having saddled Jet Ski Lady for a shock 50/1 success in 1991.



Owner Julian Richmond-Watson and trainer Ralph Beckett teamed up for an Investec Oaks victory with Look Here in 2008 and the same connections are represented this year by Ceilidh House (12/1), who finished third in the Listed Oaks Trial at Lingfield on her latest appearance.



Another Oaks-winning trainer to have a runner in 2010 is Michael Jarvis, triumphant with Eswarah in 2005. Jarvis saddles Sajjhaa (6/1), who won on her only start at Sandown on May 20 when scoring by seven lengths. Sajjhaa will be partnered by Frankie Dettori.



Snow Fairy (14/1) was supplemented at a cost of £20,000 for the Investec Oaks on Saturday and will be bidding to build on her impressive success in a Listed contest at Goodwood last month. She is trained by Ed Dunlop, who sent out Ouija Board for a famous Oaks victory in 2004.



Other contenders include Gertrude Bell (12/1) and Champagnelifestyle (20/1), who finished first and third respectively in the Listed Cheshire Oaks in May, while Mark Johnston is doubly represented with Bikini Babe (66/1) and Marie De Medici (33/1).



Investec Oaks - totesport bet: 9/2 Aviate, 5 Rumoush, 6 Sajjhaa, Timepiece, 8 (from 9) Akdarena, Remember When, 12 Ceilidh House, Gertrude Bell, 14 Snow Fairy, 20 (from 25) Champagnelifestyle, 25 Awe Inspiring, 33 Cabaret, Marie de Medici, Meeznah, 66 Bikini Babe.



‘Whereas the Derby betting has all been about one horse, we’ve seen a good spread of money on a number of fillies in the Oaks and it’s still impossible to say which one will go off favourite on Friday,’ said totesport spokesman George Primarolo.



FASCINATING CLASH IN INVESTEC CORONATION CUP



A vintage renewal of the Investec Coronation Cup sees last year’s Investec Oaks heroine Sariska (9/4) line up against Fame And Glory (11/10), who only found the outstanding Sea The Stars too strong in last year’s Investec Derby.



Sariska will be bidding to become the first Oaks winner to go on and capture the Coronation Cup since Time Charter completed the double in 1982 and 1984 respectively. Other fillies to have completed the double include legendary fillies Petite Etoile and Pretty Polly. Sariska looked in rude health when the comfortable winner of the Group Two totepool.com Middleton Stakes at York last month. The 2009 Investec Oaks third and fourth, High Heeled (16/1) and Clowance (40/1), have also been declared.



Fame And Glory represents Aidan O’Brien, who has dominated the Investec Coronation Cup in recent seasons, recording victories with Yeats (2005), Scorpion (2007) and Soldier Of Fortune (2008). Since finishing runner-up in last year’s Investec Derby, the colt has gone on to capture the Irish Derby and on his latest start was the imperious seven-length winner of the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on May 23. O’Brien also runs Dixie Music (100/1).



The Investec Coronation Cup is by no means a two-horse race with other leading contenders including Godolphin’s Cavalryman (7/1), third in last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and Youmzain (8/1), who has finished runner-up in the last two renewals of the Investec Coronation Cup as well as the last three runnings of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.



Completing the field are Jukebox Jury (12/1), successful in the Group Two Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket on May 1, South Easter (33/1), who is owned by Markus Jooste and Investec’s co-founder and managing director Bernard Kantor and rank outsider Bashkirov (100/1).



Investec Coronation Cup - totesport bet: 11/10 Fame And Glory, 9/4 Sariska, 7 Cavalryman, 8 Youmzain, 12 (from 14) Jukebox Jury, 16 High Heeled, 33 South Easter, 40 Clowance, 100 Bashkirov, Dixie Music.



EPSOM DOWNS GOING UPDATE



Andrew Cooper, Epsom Downs Clerk of the Course and Director of Racing, reported the current going as GOOD.



He said: “We ended up with 3.5 millimetres of rain yesterday, when we were forecast about six millimetres, potentially a bit more. That is the last of the rain and we have a dry, warm forecast going forward, getting warmer.



“The ground, after the rain and the watering cycle we have undertaken at Epsom, gave us a GoingStick reading of 8.1 both yesterday and first thing this morning, which gives a good indication of good Flat racing ground.”



For further information, please contact:



Rupert Trevelyan, Managing Director at Epsom Downs Racecourse, on 01372 726311



Andrew Cooper, Director of Racing at Epsom Downs Racecourse, on 07774 230850



Johnno Spence at JSC Sport on 07860 583307





THE 2010 INVESTEC OAKS

Class 1, Group 1, £366,600 Total Prize Fund. 4.05pm, Epsom Downs, Friday, June 4, 2010. For three-year-old fillies only. One mile, four furlongs & 10 yards. Weights: 9st each. Entries closed March 16, entries revealed March 18 (77 entries). Scratchings deadline noon, May 20 (25 remained). £20,000 supplementary entry stage and six-day confirmation stage May 29 (16 remained plus 1 supplementary entry), final declaration stage 10.00am, June 2 (15 declarations). Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and include the racing up to and including Tuesday, June 1.



Form Horse/Draw Owner Trainer/Jockey

1) 43133-411 AKDARENA (13) Kirsten Rausing Jim Bolger IRE/Kevin Manning

2) (1)-11 AVIATE (1) Khalid Abdulla Henry Cecil/Tom Queally

3) 0(2)-21 AWE INSPIRING (IRE) (5) Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE/Seamus Heffernan

4) 0302-(5)(2)45 BIKINI BABE (IRE) (12) Alan Spence Mark Johnston/Kieren Fallon

5) 2110-0 CABARET (IRE) (7) Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE/Colm O’Donoghue

6) 1-3 CEILIDH HOUSE (3) Julian Richmond-Watson Ralph Beckett/Jim Crowley

7) 10-3 CHAMPAGNELIFESTYLE (8) Champagne Friday Barry Hills/Michael Hills

8) 3(3)2-11 GERTRUDE BELL (14) Rachel Hood John Gosden/William Buick

9) 33124-431 MARIE DE MEDICI (USA) (6) Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum Mark Johnston/Joe Fanning

10) 33-1 MEEZNAH (USA) (11) Saif Ali & Saeed H Altayer David Lanigan/Ted Durcan

11) 2-34 REMEMBER WHEN (IRE) (4) Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE/Johnny Murtagh

12) (1)-10 RUMOUSH (USA) (2) Hamdan Al Maktoum Marcus Tregoning/Richard Hills

13) 1 SAJJHAA (9) Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum Michael Jarvis/Frankie Dettori

14) (1)2439-1 SNOW FAIRY (IRE) (15) Anamoine Ltd Ed Dunlop/Ryan Moore

15) 2(1)1-42 TIMEPIECE (10) Khalid Abdulla Henry Cecil/Eddie Ahern



15 declarations

4 Irish-trained



THE INVESTEC CORONATION CUP

Class One, Group One, £225,000 Total Prize Fund. 2.45pm, Epsom Downs, Friday, June 4, 2010. For four-year-olds and upwards, one mile, four furlongs & 10 yards. Entries closed April 6, entries revealed April 7 (35 entries), scratchings deadline May 18 (16 remained), six-day confirmation & £20,000 supplementary stage May 29 (11 remained), final declaration stage 10.00am, June 2 (10 declarations). Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Tuesday, June .



Form Horse/Draw Age/Wt Owner Trainer/Jockey

1) (1)(1)(5)-(1)(6)60 BASHKIROV (6) 5-9-00 Luke Comer Luke Comer IRE/Robbie Walsh

2) 1113-(0)5 CAVALRYMAN (2) 4-9-00 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor/Frankie Dettori

3) /51-446 DIXIE MUSIC (IRE) (10) 4-9-00 Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE/Seamus Heffernan

4) 1266-311 FAME AND GLORY (8) 4-9-00 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE/Johnny Murtagh

5) 4112-01 JUKEBOX JURY (IRE) (3) 4-9-00v Alan Spence Mark Johnston/Royston Ffrench

6) 216-(1)3 SOUTH EASTER (IRE) (4) 4-9-00t Markus Jooste & Bernard Kantor William Haggas/Ryan Moore

7) 23320-0 YOUMZAIN (IRE) (9) 7-9-00v Jaber Abdullah Mick Channon/Kieren Fallon

8) 114/24-0 CLOWANCE (7) 5-8-11 Seasons Holidays Roger Charlton/Jimmy Fortune

9) 331541- HIGH HEELED (IRE) (1) 4-8-11 George Strawbridge & James Wigan John Gosden/William Buick

10) 11123-1 SARISKA (5) 4-8-11 Lady Bamford Michael Bell/Jamie Spencer



10 declarations

3 Irish-


ENDS