Listed race at Nottingham

With Royal Ascot with its 18 group races starting tomorrow, one could not expect much black type action today, but there is in fact a good race this evening at Nottingham- the listed Warwickshrire Oaks at 20.50 CET. Quite why it should be run in Nottingham with this title is beyond us and it is a race for 4yo and older fillies as well, but it does have one genuine Oaks performer in the field- Secret Gesture (Ralph Beckett/ Jamie Spencer), runner-up in both the Epsom and Düsseldorf versions last year, and recently runner-up to the smart Ambivalent at York. Obviously with all these second places, connections would like to se a black type victory as well, and this race looks a good opportunity. However she does have one serious opponent - Irish challenger We´ll Go Walking (Johnny Murtagh/ Seamus Heffernan), runner-up in similar company the last twice, and her form when sedond to Tarfasha with Dazzling third now reads very well. These two should probably have the race to themselves.

There us also the usuallow-level Windsor Monday eveninhg Card, whiel th7this afternoon there is flat racing at Carlisle and jumps racing at Newton Abbot. At the latter fixture we hope that ex-German Engai (David Bridgwater/ Tom Scudamore) can defy a 9 lb rise in the weights and win the 2 mile handicap chase at 17.00. He often failed to deliver over sticks but seems to enjoy racing over fences miuch better.