OASIS DREAM BESTS CHOISIR
Champion 2yo of 2002 OASIS DREAM attained a
rarely achieved double by winning the July Cup, 6f, Newmarket, Gr.1
and the Middle Park S, 6f, Newmarket, Gr.1.
The winner of 3 races from 6 starts to date OASIS
DREAM is half-brother to the 2002 Poule d’Essai des
Pouliches winner ZENDA (by Zamindar) and his dam
is an own sister to Irish Oaks Gr.1 winner WEMYSS
BIGHT (herself dam of multiple Gr.1 winner BEAT
HOLLOW).
The press had the following to say about his win in the July Cup
-
OASIS DREAM battled past the Australian hero
Choisir, up the Newmarket hill, to win the Gr1 July Cup by 1 ½
lengths. OASIS DREAM found early speed to
move across from his middle berth and tackle the trailblazer inside
the final quarter. “The plan was to ride a positive race”
winning trainer John Gosden commented. “We had to ride an
aggressive race so that when we attacked up the hill we only had
two lengths to make up. There was no point in trying to come
at him from six back, because he comes again”.
TDN 11th July.
OASIS DREAM engaged Choisir with a quarter-mile
to go in the six furlong contest, one of Europe’s premier sprint
races, and headed the 9-to-4 favourite inside the eight pole before
spurting away to a 1½ length victory in 1:09:94 on good to firm
turf.
The victory was the 105th in a Grade or Group 1 stakes event for
Saudi Arabian Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms.
Thoroughbred times 11th July.
Although not as smartly away as the favourite, OASIS
DREAM was soon sitting second and, once battle was joined
two furlongs out, Hughes steadily gained the upper hand to draw a
length and a half clear, with Airwave running into third.
“We knew we had to go out and attack him because he’s an
exceptional sprinter” Gosden said. “We saw what he did at
Ascot and, with that plum draw he was going to be hard to catch.
No-one had the speed to go with Choisir, but we knew we wanted to
be right on him, shadowing him knowing that when we attached him up
the hill we only had to make up two lengths or a length and a
half. The plan was to ride a positive race. OASIS
DREAM broke a length slow but made it up in 50 yards and
what I liked was that, halfway through the race, Richard had no
contact with the mouth. The reins were just flapping and they
were cruising. I knew there was a lot more to come, and there
sure was”.
Hughes said: “He was electric away from the gates.”
Racing Post – 11th July
Date:
11 July 2003