The Lark

The Lark is the other filly, as well as the winner Talent, who could be worth taking out of The Oaks.

The strong pace would have suited her, her dam Gull Wing won over a mile and three quarters and is a half-sister to the Oaks winner Sariska, and she looked sure to improve for the step up in trip beforehand, but she was in the wrong position up the inside. She travelled nicely for Jamie Spencer but she just got a bit caught on heels around Tattenham Corner and dropped back to last into the home straight. It did open up for her up the inside early in the home straight and she improved nicely, but she had nowhere to go two and a half furlongs out. Spencer tried to switch out around Liber Nauticus, four off the rail, but Moth shut that door and The Lark had to go back to the inside before trying to switch out around Secret Gesture deep inside the final furlong. She actually did really well to get back up the camber enough to allow her to run on for third place and hold off the strong challenge of Moth for that position.

If The Lark had been able to get through that gap between Liber Nauticus and Moth two and a half furlongs out, she would have been a lot closer, she may even have finished second, but as it was her momentum was halted all the way up the home straight as she tried to pick a run. She is better than the bare form of this run.

This was just her fourth ever run, she should be better with an even greater test of stamina, and even easier ground would suit her well too. Her dam was at her best on soft or heavy ground and she is by soft-ground influence Pivotal. She will be of interest if she takes her chance in the Ribblesdale Stakes or the Irish Oaks – for which she would need to be supplemented – especially if the ground happened to come up soft at The Curragh, but she will be of even greater interest if she steps up in trip later in the season, perhaps for the Park Hill Stakes or even the St Leger.

31st May 2013