A ROYAL WEEK
The return to form of OASIS DREAM’s Aqlaam (Rainbow Quest) 3rd in the Queen Anne Stakes Gr.1 got the Juddmonte stallions off and running at Royal Ascot last week.
By every account Aqlaam can continue to improve further, as will OASIS DREAM’s Main Aim (Selkirk) who looked outpaced two furlongs out but stayed on well in the final furlong to get up for 4th and should improve again in this top company.
DANSILI so nearly began his Royal Ascot with a win in the St James Palaces Stakes Gr.1 however his son Delegator (Efisio), having taken the lead with a furlong to go was just outstayed in the final yards for a narrow neck defeat. Reports suggest Delegator may take a break and head to Deauville later on in the season.
Onto day 2 and OASIS DREAM’s Misheer (Cadeaux Generaux) finished 2 lengths clear of the chasing pack but unfortunately found the American filly Jealous Again too strong in the closely stages of the Queen Mary Stakes Gr.2.
On a day when the brilliant Yeats took centre stage in winning his 4th Ascot Gold Cup, connections of the OBSERVATORY colt Nosedive (Dr Fong) would have been pleased by the way the colt recovered and ran on from an earlier scrimmage in the Norfolk Stakes Gr.2.
DANSILI was doubled handed in the Britannia Handicap and both colts Mirrored (3rd) and Espiritu (4th) ran on well to only be beaten in a four horse photo finish. OASIS DREAM’s Monitor Closely stayed on well in the Hampton Court Stakes L and is OASIS DREAM’s first stakes horse inbred to Green Desert.
It had been 7 years since Henry Cecil’s last win at Royal Ascot but DANSILI’s Father Time (Sadler’s Wells) put that statistic firmly to bed with an emphatic 4 length win in the King Edward VII Stakes Gr.2. A full brother to DANSILI’s Gr.1 winner Passage Of Time, Father Time settled just off the pace and was always travelling better than the rest in the straight and picked up really nicely in the closing stages to win going away.
OASIS DREAM was not going to let DANSILI steal the limelight and his son Perfect Stride (Highest Honor) provided OASIS DREAM with the perfect end to a fantastic week by getting up in the final strides to win the Wolferton Stakes L over 10f.
Not to be out done by the Royal Ascot stars OASIS DREAM’s Sugar Free (Fasliyev) won the Land O’Burns Fillies Stakes L over 5f at Ayr on Saturday.
Sugar Free is OASIS DREAM’s 17th stakes winner from 188 runners so far.
Date: 23 June 2009