Rain gives Onassis real chance in Oak Tree
IT’S LOOKING very much like wellies and not open-toed shoes at Goodwood on Wednesday with the ground almost certain to be very testing after all the recent rain the West Sussex track has had.
That won’t bother trainer Charlie Fellowes, though, as his ONASSIS loves the mud, and she looks poised to go very well in the Group 3 Oak Tree Stakes (2.25pm).
The daughter of Dubawi is two from three in her career when the going is soft or heavy, including in a Listed contest over course and distance last October.
She’s also won the Sandringham at Royal Ascot last year on soft ground and she comes into this fresher than most having run just twice this season.
You can put a line through both of her runs this year as a mile on quick ground wouldn’t have played to her strengths at the Royal meeting, while she was run off her feet a bit at York over six furlongs last time.
She gets her absolutely ideal conditions here and she should run really well at around 7/1.
A mention must be given to her stablemate, Vadream, who is another who that won’t mind the ground.
She was a very good sixth in the 1000 Guineas and proved that was no fluke when third to the talented Creative Force in the Jersey Stakes on soft ground.
Fellowes’ other runner finished two lengths ahead of Onassis in the aforementioned York contest, but I just think Hayley Turner’s mount will have enough to turn the form around back up in trip.
Of the remainder, the ground has to be a concern for Sacred given she was taken out of the Commonwealth Cup because of testing conditions, while the same reservations apply to the Irish raider Valeria Messalina, who bombed out in a Group 2 on bad ground at the start of the campaign.
POINTERS
Onassis 2.25pm Goodwood