John Oxx has warned that soft ground for Sunday week's Qipco 1,000 Guineas would probably see My Titania skip the first fillies classic of the season but otherwise the Curragh trainer reported yesterday everything remains on track for Newmarket with the daughter of Sea The Stars.
My Titania is a 7-1 second-favourite for the Guineas with some bookmakers but Oxx maintains she has it all to prove at Group One level having wound up her two year old campaign with success in the Group Three Park Stakes.
“Those other fillies like Rizeena, Tapestry and Kiyoshi, the first three in the Moyglare, have all competed at the top level and until they do it, you don’t really know how they will perform. All our filly has done is win a maiden and a Group Three.
“But she is very forward, has done everything we’ve asked of her, looks good in her coat and hasn’t had a setback so hopefully everything will continue to be okay with her,” he said yesterday.
My Titania provided her sire with his first Group winner when successful in the Park Stakes over seven furlongs last season and although she is unproven at a mile, Oxx doesn’t expect that to be an issue at Newmarket.
“I look at her as a miler. I see she is in the betting for the Oaks as well but a mile should be right for her, maybe stretching out to a mile and a quarter later in the year,” said the trainer.
"She does like dry ground though and she should get that at Newmarket. It's unlikely the ground will turn soft there, although it is not unheard of at Newmarket. If that did happen, then she wouldn't run. But at the moment we are happy . . ."
Racing weight
The Moyglare heroine Rizeena tops the betting lists for the 1,000 Guineas and worked impressively under Ryan Moore at Newmarket yesterday.
“Ryan was happy. She will probably have one work on grass before she gets within six kilos of her racing weight and she’s getting close to that. It just depends on what the ground is like,” said trainer Clive Brittain.
Tapestry continues to be the shortest of Aidan O’Brien’s powerful team of three year old fillies in the Guineas betting. O’Brien has won the 1,000 Guineas twice before with Virginia Waters and Homecoming Queen.
O’Brien has also indicated that Australia is likely to be joined by War Command in the 2,000 Guineas. He said:
“The plan was always to train both for it and then we’d see closer to the time.”
