Juliette's weekly frolic
In the old days, when it was run on a Friday, the Epsom Oaks had a neat habit of coinciding with halfterm holiday and was naturally a firm favourite with this hardened gambler. Today few appear to share my schoolgirl enthusiasm, and just as the St Leger yearly loses stature, so the Oaks slides more and more into the shadow of the Derby. Its advance press is reduced to a couple of lines tacked on to a lengthy treatise
colts' race, Its supporting Id■.ca offer £9,000 less in prize money, its crowd — despite the move to Saturday — hardly overflows the stands, and, as a final indignity, the poor fillies do not even merit members' morning dress. Clearly this is discrimination of the lowest order, especially in 1973 when all and sundry have declared the Derby a " donkeys' race " yet the fillies are of the very highest quality.
This century has seen two oddson winners — Galatea II (1939), Noblesse (1963) — and the way things are shaping, Mysterious, hot favourite since her ' surprise ' vic tory in the 1,000 Guineas, looks like starting in similar fashion. Since this lady kindly set me on the road to classic success at Newmarket, it seems churlish to desert her on Saturday, but really I can't help myself. It's not only my desire for untold wealth, but a belief that you can dine out far better on a 33-1 ' desperately unlucky ' third, than a hotly tipped winner. However, before revealing the identity of my favoured longshot to an expectant public, sense dictates a further splash on Where you Lead.
The logic in ante-post wagering is sometimes as hard to reconcile as the vagaries of feminine fashions and prime examples are 'he cases of Milly Moss, Reload and Aureoletta. These ladies filled the first three plaees in the Cheshire Oaks, separated by a very short head and length. In ' Raceform ' terminology Reload was hdd cl home' but very gamely ' rallied last stride' with Aureoletta under pressure. Yet while the latter has been cramped around the 7-1 mark ever since, the former is unloved at 33-1. Both fillies were making only their second racecourse appearance having begun their careers in the Wood Ditton Stakes where, believe it or not, Reload was a fast finishing ninth, and Aureoletta nowhere to be seen. Of course, there are excuses and knowing mutterings to justify the mountains of inspired cash for Aureole's daughter, but not being privy to these secrets, I'm quite content to fall in with her unfashionable dual conqueress at five times the odds.
Friday is jamboree day both north and south. Epsom's revamped card, in aid of the World Wildlife Fund, has attracted the Queen and some splendid horses, a large number of whom are on duty for the Weetabix Wildlife Handicap. Knockroe, Ballyhot, Crazy Rhythm, Ijoyal. Cuard, Fire. fright ... the tielcrs enough to make my head spin. A pin is unlikely to go far wrong, and mine lights upon Crazy Rhythm. 'That very same evening, the BBC's' Nationwide' programme broadcasts live from Haydock Park, I'm only concerned with the 6.35 where Christmas Post is a confident choice to return to the form that won him four races last season. Should he turn up at Epsom at 4.15 on Saturday instead, the bet's still on.
Assets: E90.78. Outlay: £2 to win Where You Lead, Cl ew Reload (33I Ladbrokes) £2 to win Crazy Rhythm and Christmas Post.
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