Betfred Mobile Oaks Trial
Fillies' Listed, Lingfield 13:55 £40,000 added, 3yo only, 1m 3f 133y, Class 1
Saturday 13th May 2017

1 Hertford Dancer 8/1
2 Pocketfullofdreams 15/8
3 The Sky Is Blazing 11/8F
6 ran Distances: 1½l, 6l, 3¾l
Time: 2m 32.07s (slow by 5.07s)

Hertford Dancer runs down Pocketfullofdreams to win

No winner of the Lingfield Oaks Trial as gone on to win the fillies' Classic at Epsom since Ramruma in 1999 and that trend will be extended for another year after Hertford Dancer landed the spoils.

The John Gosden-trained daughter of Foxwedge, whose sole previous win came in a Wolverhampton all-weather maiden in December, stayed on stoutly to score by a length and a half from Pocketfullofdreams.

Frankie Dettori had the 8-1 shot ideally placed as Camerone and the runner-up set decent fractions in ground that had ease in it after overnight rain. As Camerone dropped away, the pair endured a protracted battle up the straight, with Hertford Dancer pulling out more and looking better the further she went.

Gosden said she will not be in the line-up at Epsom on June 2, however, as she would need to be supplemented and connections are "unlikely to go that way".

He added: "We thought we'd be placed. There were two fillies in there they liked a lot, but fortunately one of them slightly faltered and the other one gave us a good race. She is a tough little filly and I always knew the trip would suit her, so we are delighted. We did think we'd be doing terribly well to finish second or third. We didn't expect to win - I'll give you that.

"She has the heart the size of a lion. I love it when they are genuine fillies like this. She always gives her best. She ran on well at Nottingham the other day but just ran out of real estate and that was a mile and a quarter, this was a mile and a half - this is what she wants.

"She is honest. I know the family well. I bought the mare for Mr (George) Strawbridge. He had three decent ones who all got to a level. This one, with the step up in trip, has just gone to another level."

Harry Herbert, representing Highclere, who bred the filly, said Royal Ascot was the plan, with the Ribblesdale Stakes the most likely target.

He said: "We were hopeful because she tries so hard and stays so well and nick some black type. She travelled almost like the best of the lot and when Frankie switched her it was fantastic to see her run on so strongly. When you have an animal who only just wants to win, it makes a hell of a difference.

"We won't supplement her. We'll let the dust settle. Maybe a race like the Ribblesdale will be right for her at Royal Ascot."

Aidan O'Brien, denied a third win in the race, was absent, so it was left to Kevin Buckley to explain away the runner-up's defeat.

Buckley said: "She came to win the race but after that it was a little fact finding. I think she will probably drop back down to a mile and two furlongs to be honest.

"I think she is probably happier over that, as she showed at Navan last time. But she's run a good race - it is just the extra distance that found her out today. I would not make the ground as an excuse. We'll drop her back and you will be seeing plenty of her. She has a fair bit of ability and Ryan (Moore) likes her, he rode her exactly as planned."

Betfred Mobile Oaks Trial Stakes (Fillies' Listed)
£40,000 added, 3yo only, 1m 3f 133y, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places