The fifth and the last Oaks of the year will be run this Sunday at Mahalakshmi and it is heartening to find Classic form of all the main winter centres represented. Eyes For You was only fourth in the Spartan Poker Indian 1000 Guineas, Gr.1 but the first (La Rondine), the second (Arabia) and the third (Oomph) have travelled to Guindy to stamp their mark on the Classics there. Oomph herself had won the Bangalore 1000 Guineas, Gr.2 beating New Creation before coming to Mumbai; New Creation is the winner of South India Oaks, Gr.1; Bluebell was an easy winner of the Golconda Oaks, Gr.2,  Merlot ran second in Golconda 1000 Guineas, Gr.2 and Exception comes from Calcutta after having been the runner-up in both the fillies' Classics there. Rarely, if ever, has the Indian Oaks brought together such form lines. That poses its own problems as it muddles the waters. Also, the average field rating is only 56.25 which is much below the average of last ten years which stands at 66.9.

Let's start with the Classic winners. New Creation (Multidimensional - Tarnished Lady) scored thrilling victory in the South India Oaks, Gr.1. She was a head in front of Tudor Treasure -- winner of the South India 1000 Guineas, Gr.2 -- who spared a long neck to La Rondine, the winner of the Spartan Poker Indian 1000 Guineas, Gr.1. That is top class form even when it is accepted that on another day a different result could easily be forthcoming. What it does not alter, though, is that the filly is a winner over 2400 m. so it precludes the conjecture of whether she will get the trip. Her jockey -- it is presumed that David Allan will be riding her -- and her sire Multidimensional are having a dream run in the winter Classics in India this year. 

The other filly to have won a Classic over 2400 m. is Bluebell (Paco Boy - Well Hidden) who picked up the Golconda Oaks, Gr.2 on only her third start. Leigh Roche had much in hand at Malakpet while the runner-up Nimble Mind felt the full fury of Akshay Kumar's whip. Being inexperienced she has scope for improvement though the small field at Hyderabad was lacking in quality. Her sire is a multiple Group-winning miler/seven furlong horse standing at Highclere Stud. Well Hidden, a daughter of Sadler's Wells, was bred and owned by The Queen and Sir Michael Stoute sent her out to win her only race over 2400 m. Her dam won the Ribblesdale Stakes, Gr.2 at Royal Ascot and has produced Flight of Fancy who was second in the Vodafone Epsom Oaks, Gr.1. That is class and stamina from the top drawer.

Exception (Western Aristocrat - Edessya) was beaten a little over six lengths in the Calcutta 1000 Guineas, Gr.3 by Adjudicate and by just a long neck by Oriana in the Calcutta Oaks, Gr.3. She is a stable-mate of Adjudicate whose smashing win the Calcutta Derby, Gr.1 proclaims her as a filly of exceptional talent. So, Exception has wisely avoided clashing with her and come down to Mahalakshmi. Her sire excelled around a mile in U.S.A. but has already produced Kangra who has three black-type wins over 2400 m. The dam line of Exception is even stouter than that of Bluebell with Ascot Gold Cup, Gr.1 winners Enzeli and Estimate close up. She is unlikely to be beaten for stamina. There are some round about, albeit tenuous lines to Calcutta form. Exception can provide a more direct link.

Eyes For You (Multidimensional - Margarita Rita) was a fast finishing fourth in the Spartan Poker Indian 1000 Guineas, Gr.1 and has been working brilliantly. Her only win so far was over 1200. Her dam won 2 races in U.S.A., both over 1200 m. and she has produced five winners in India but none beyond a mile. It has to be said, though, that Eyes For You's full-sister Heaven Is Here was beaten only a head in the Bangalore Oaks, Gr.2. Rehanullah Khan's filly is from the same family as Elusive Pimpernel but from a different branch.

Merlot (Saamidd - Tourmalet) was a close second to Realmsoffantasy in the Golconda 1000 Guineas, Gr.2 but failed to show up in the Spartan Poker Indian 1000 Guineas, Gr.1 on her home track. Merlot is a half-sister to Tintinnabulation (Golconda Derby, Gr.1, Indian Turf Invitation Cup, Gr.1, Villoo Poonawalla Stayers' Cup, Gr.1, Bangalore St. Leger, Gr.2, Golconda St. Leger, Gr.2, etc) so there is no dearth of stamina. The extended trip may help her to reveal her hidden class.

Named after a restaurant in Switzerland, Findlerhof (Phoenix Tower - Mabaahej) came out the maiden ranks just this week. In any case her dam line has pure speed and this is a race not meant for her. Princess Eliza is still a maiden after three starts. 

We now come to the filly who has been talked about enough. That is Roberta. She is by Multidimensional born at Usha Stud, runs in the colours of Mr. Vijay Shirke and is trained by Pesi Shroff.  That is enough commendation for the talk and conjecture. Sadly, her performance so far has been singularly disappointing, confounding the expectations and exasperating their connections. The only reason why  she needs to be discussed in detail is the ability of her trainer Pesi Shroff to produce rabbits out of the hat in long distance races as he has in the past and again this year with Bluebell and Barbaresco (he didn't win in Calcutta but even his second was not presaged by pure form).

Roberta's dam Moonlight Romance is the only filly to have bagged the Derby Bangalore, Gr.1-Indian Derby, Gr.1-Indian Turf Invitation Cup, Gr.1 treble. Like Roberta, her two two siblings -- Anteros and Romantic Star -- have shown glimpses of their potential but been hugely disappointing on the whole. Twice in her four starts Roberta has has been tardy at the start, losing valuable ground. Add to that her last start where she was caught flat-footed and finished almost a distance behind her stable-mate Smasher. The sunnier side is that she posted her maiden win despite a slow beginning, caught up with the field and then won going away to win by seven lengths. Her next win was less eye catching but she seemed to be just warming up at the end of 2000 m.and the horse she beat -- Gloriosus -- has won twice since. Roberta will finally be going over a trip that should suit her. She has been given plenty of work and she will not be bereft of support. The  moment of truth has arrived and it is time to show her true colours. When Moonlight Romance won the HDIL Indian Oaks, Gr.1 as a prelude to her Grand Treble, there were only six runners, the last time that there were fewer runners than this year.. 

Reprint had to beat only two fillies to win the Indian Oaks in 1977. Generally, though, the Oaks field has usually been in double figures. In the last ten years, Shroff has picked up this race -- one which he has won more often than any other Classic -- six times, five favourites have scored, three winners were the highest rated ones and the same number were 'got-abroads'. With seven winners of the Indian Oaks, Shroff is tied at the top with A.L.J. Talib and Uttam Singh. 

PAST THE POST

Roberta is a somewhat unusual runner in the Indian Oaks in as much that she hasn't run in any Classic previously. In the early days of Indian Classics, there were no other Classics and the only previous available Classic for an Oaks candidate was one of the Guineas. It is quite possible that some of the Oaks winners had not run in any of the Guineas.

In the last 50 years, with the regional Classics having mushroomed, opportunities have been aplenty for the trainers to chart a better road map to take their filly to the Oaks. Still, there are three Indian Oaks winners who had never participated in a Classic earlier. The first of these was M/s. Shyam Ruia, R.J. Sigtia & N.R. Ruia's LADY MADONNA (Never Never - Donna Princess) in 1975. She was trained by Uttam Singh and not only had she not participated in a Classic but she was a maiden ! She won the race by a distance !!

Then, in 1986 along came SILVER HAVEN (Sovereign Silver - Rock Haven). She had won two of her four ordinary races prior to the Indian Oaks. The Oaks was an open contest and the filly, carrying the colours of M/s. Cyrus S. Poonawalla, Z.S. Poonawalla, F.S. Reporter & Kumar R. Dalal, won easily. Like Lady Madonna, she was trained by Uttam Singh.

Uttam Singh was in a league of his own as a trainer of fillies. He was also the trainer who provided Pesi Shroff with his first ever winner as a jockey. Shroff's first Classic victory as a trainer was with BLUE RIBBON in 2007. Blue Ribbon had run her very first race towards the end of the previous Pune season when she ran off-the-board in a large field. She won her next two races in Mumbai and went into the Dheeraj Arma Indian Oaks as the second favourite and won with a degree of comfort in a new race record time. She was owned by Mr. Sunil Jhangiani, Mrs. Shaila Jhangiani, Mrs. Padmini Jhangiani and Mr. Gobind Jhangiani.