Barry Mahon targetting Leicester Oaks for Bluestocking after solid Irish Oaks showing
- Planet Sport writer
- 2 August 2023
Juddmonte European Racing manager Barry Mahon revealed they are planning on sending Bluestocking to the Ebor Festival at York.
Bluestocking will be given a couple of options at the upcoming Sky Bet Ebor Festival at York following her narrow defeat in the Irish Oaks.
Placed behind Warm Heart in both a Listed race at Newbury and the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Camelot filly comprehensively reversed that form in the Curragh Classic and looked the likely winner after travelling powerfully to the lead.
In the end she was outstayed by Epsom Oaks runner-up Savethelastdance, but lost little in defeat in being beaten half a length and is now bound for the Knavesmire.
Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte, said: "Whilst we thought the world of her, her form before the Irish Oaks wouldn't have suggested she was going to put in a run like that, but we sort of always felt she had that in her.
"It was a huge run and I thought she had it won for most of the straight, but unfortunately we didn't.
"We'll look towards York for her. It will more than likely be the Yorkshire Oaks, but because she hasn't won yet this year she has the option of the race we won with Haskoy last year (Galtres Stakes).
"You'd imagine she'll probably go for the Yorkshire Oaks, but she'll be in both anyway."
Two other horses who have made a big impression for the Juddmonte team in the last week are Waltham and Task Force.
Trained by Ger Lyons, the three-year-old Waltham supplemented an impressive debut win at Leopardstown with a runaway six-length success in a conditions event at the same track. He now looks set for a step up to Pattern class, but Mahon feels talk of a tilt at Classic glory in the St Leger is premature.
"He's a nice horse and he's a horse that went into training late - he only went into training in May this year," he said.
"He's done nothing wrong in his two wins, he's progressing nicely and stays well and something like the Irish St Leger Trial at the Curragh (August 20) would be next on the cards.
"He is a nice horse, but you have to remember he's won a pretty uncompetitive maiden and he's won a nice conditions race - it's a long way off Group One standard."
Task Force, trained by Ralph Beckett, is bred to be a bit special as a son of Frankel out 1000 Guineas heroine Special Duty and made a big impression on his racecourse introduction at Salisbury.
While plans are fluid, Mahon hopes he can go on to bigger and better things.
He said: "It's not too many times you have a two-year-old that's by a Guineas winner and out of a Guineas winner and he's a nice horse.
"He's a very late foal (born in May) and he's been a little bit immature, but he's shown up well at home, Ralph decided to bring him down the road for his first start and he won well.
"Again the quality of the race might not have been the strongest, but he did it in impressive fashion over what I'd imagine is his bare minimum trip of six furlongs.
"Without discussing it with Ralph, he would remind me of a horse who probably won't have a huge amount of racing this year. If he had another two starts that would probably be the height of it as he's a horse to look forward to for next year.
"I'd say he'll step up to seven furlongs next time."
When asked whether the Acomb Stakes at York could be a target, he added: "At the moment I think the plan is for Starlore to go to the Acomb, but if Task Force was in good form and Ralph wanted a go it's not impossible we could run two of them."
