Lake Avenue and Antoinette out to impress at Oaklawn Park

Three-year-olds Lake Avenue and Antoinette aim for Stakes victories over an extended mile on dirt at Oaklawn Park in US on Friday. Both Bill Mott-trained fillies drop down in class having finished third at G2 level on their latest appearances, with Lake Avenue (John Velazquez) contesting the G3 Fantasy Stakes following a rallying display in the Gulfstream Park Oaks over the same trip at the end of March.

Lake Avenue won two of her three juvenile appearances and rounded off her season with a decisive four-length victory in the nine-furlong G2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct in December.

Antoinette (John Velazquez) lines up in the Gardenia Stakes after staying on gamely in the Fair Grounds Oaks over an extended mile on March 21. Like Lake Avenue, the Hard Spun filly also enjoyed Stakes success on dirt at Aqueduct in December, with a comfortable win in the mile Tepin Stakes.

Godolphin US President Jimmy Bell said: “Lake Avenue is coming up against some very strong fillies, with champion two-year-old British Idiom and Venetian Harbor, a very impressive winner of the G2 Las Virgenes Stakes, in the line-up.

“It is a deep field but we feel Lake Avenue fits with this group. She was very rusty in the Busher Stakes on her seasonal return but ran a lifetime best on the figures in the Gulfstream Park Oaks.

“Bill Mott has been very pleased with her since and she deserves to take her chance against a talented group.

“Antoinette has shown ability on both turf and dirt. She has been training very satisfactorily down at Palm Meadows in Florida and ran her best race so far in the Fair Grounds Oaks.

“Training-wise, Bill Mott said that there is little to separate the two, but Lake Avenue has got slightly more experience and is a little more battle-hardened than Antoinette.”

Meanwhile, a significant gear change and some “enormous” work on the training track has injected new confidence in the prospects of classy 3YO filly Lyre in Saturday’s G1 Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville.

Lyre, the 2019 G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner, hasn’t won since that success, but co-trainer Sam Freedman is satisfied she can amend the record.

“She’ll have the blinkers on for the first time, which we’re hoping will help her focus and give her that little bit extra.”

“She worked enormous in the blinkers this week, so we’re pretty happy going into a race which is strong at the top but probably tails off fairly quickly.”

Lyre (Damian Thornton), who is joined in the Sangster by Godolphin runner Savatiano (Jason Holder), has been in contention at each of her three starts this time in, the most recent a fourth placing in open company in a Listed race at Caulfield two weeks ago.

Savatiano has raced four times in her current preparation, winning first-up and then putting in a strong effort when second to The Bostonian in the G1 Canterbury Stakes.

“Her run in the Canterbury Stakes was a personal best, but she’s had a few things go against her since then,” said Darren Beadman, assistant to trainer James Cummings.

“The heavy track didn’t suit her at all last start, so it can be overlooked.”

Cummings also runs Asiago in the G1 Australasian Oaks on the same Morphettville card, along with Tenley (Jake Toeroek) in the G2 Euclase Stakes and the trio of Trekking (John Allen), Viridine (Jason Holder) and Home Of The Brave (Barend Vorster) in the G3 D C Mackay Stakes.

Asiago has revealed Group-level ability in a career that includes five wins, but is unproven at the 2,000m of the Oaks.

“She needs all the favours she can get if she’s going to run out the trip,” Beadman said.

“From the wide gate there’ll be no choice but to go back and get her relaxed.”

Tenley began her latest preparation with one of her best performances when second to Ms Catherine in the G3 Typhoon Tracy Stakes at Moonee Valley and again ran well when fourth in the G2 Kewney Stakes at Flemington before a last start ninth over 1,100m here two weeks ago.

“She had to go back from the wide gate here last start. She ran on, but just had too much to do,” Beadman said.