24 Mar 2017

Appleby believes Wuheida fits Oaks bill

Wuheida

Charlie Appleby believes the Investec Oaks represents the best chance of Wuheida enjoying glory in this year’s QIPCO British Champions Series.

The exciting daughter of Dubawi was among last season’s leading juveniles, winning a maiden on her debut at Newmarket before winning in Group 1 company on Arc day at Chantilly in October.

Wuheida will make her seasonal debut in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas back at Newmarket on May 7, but her trainer appears sweeter on her chances of Oaks glory at Epsom on June 2.

“Even going into the Marcel Boussac (at Chantilly), we’d already pencilled her in for the Oaks,” Appleby told the Guardian: “She’s going to go straight to the Guineas. I don’t want to come back in trip to seven (furlongs) and I’m not worried about getting beat.

“Sometimes the European mindset is that you don’t want to be beaten but you’ve got to look at the bigger prize and it’s how you get to that prize.

“Yes, the Guineas is obviously a big prize but the Oaks is where we’re going to see her at her best so we are working back from that.”

Wuheida is available at 10-1 for the Guineas, and is a general 14-1 for the Oaks.

Appleby said: “She might not be sharp enough to go and win a Guineas, we don’t know, but we’re going to get a better assessment of her if we can see her with a true end to-end gallop going forward to the Oaks.”

https://twitter.com/ChampionsSeries/status/782555607337463812

Picture courtesy of racingfotos.com