The Aidan O'Brien-trained Virginia Waters, winner of the UltimatePoker.com 1000 Guineas, and Godolphin's Fen Shui, 10th in the Newmarket Classic, were yesterday supplemented at a cost of £20,000 each to the Vodafone Oaks field which is 13-strong following the five-day confirmation stage. There were 10 fillies left in last year's Vodafone Oaks at this stage.
Virginia Waters, who has since finished eighth in the Irish 1000 Guineas, was an expected supplementary entry for the Vodafone Oaks, which is run on Friday, June 3 at Epsom Downs, but the lightly-raced Fen Shui's addition comes as a surprise.
Simon Crisford, the Godolphin racing manager, explained: "Fen Shui has been working nicely since the Guineas and we think she deserves to take her chance in the Vodafone Oaks.
"The trip is an unknown. She shows plenty of speed and there are some stamina doubts."
The 1000 Guineas was the first run of the season for the Timber Country filly who won easily on her debut in 2004 at Kempton over seven furlongs.
O'Brien has three fillies going forward for the Vodafone Oaks now, having also left in Silk And Scarlet and Mona Lisa.
There are two other Irish possibles, the Jim Bolger-trained Pictavia and Dermot Weld's Dream To Dress, while France could be represented the Elie Lellouche-trained Argentina.
The home team is led by ante-post favourite Eswarah, who is unbeaten in two runs, while the other main hopes, Cassydora and Something Exciting, also go forward.
Andrew Cooper, director of racing at Epsom Downs, welcomed the two additions. He said: "
Virginia Waters and Fen Shui join a strong field for the Vodafone Oaks and I would expect virtually all of them to line up on Friday.
"The going is good at the moment. It is a bit cooler than yesterday but very breezy. I will walk the course again tomorrow and if necessary we will resume watering on Monday.
"The forecast is for mainly dry weather during the week - there could be some rain but it is not guaranteed."
The 2005 Vodafone Oaks, the main fillies' Classic, will now be worth £383,600.
The other Group One contest on Friday, Ladies Day, is the £250,000 Vodafone Coronation Cup, also over a mile and half.
There are also 13 going forward for the Vodafone Coronation Cup, with Godolphin having left in both Cheery Mix and Papineau. Crisford said that no decision about runners had yet been made.
O'Brien has three, Acropolis, Powerscourt and Yeats, still in the race which has been won for the last two years by Warrsan, who will be attempting an unprecedented three-timer on Friday.
Last year's German Derby victor Shirocco, a dual Group One scorer for trainer Andreas Schutz, is a likely raider, while French interest concerns Pride from the Alain de Royer Dupre stable and Reefscape, trained by Andre Fabre.
The main supporting race, the £75,000 Vodafone Rose Bowl Handicap over 10 furlongs, has 22 five-day confirmations and the four other races on Friday have also received excellent entries.
The second day of the Festival, on Saturday, June 4, features the premier Classic, the Vodafone Derby, and the five-day confirmations will be announced on Monday.
THE 2005 VODAFONE OAKS
Group One, Class A, Epsom Downs, Friday, June 3, 2005, one mile, four furlongs and 10 yards, total prize fund £383,600, for three-year-old fillies only. Weights: 9st. Entries closed Wednesday, March 2, 2005 (74 entries), entries released March 7. Forfeit stage Thursday, May 19, 2005 (16 remain), £20,000 supplementary entry stage Saturday, May 28, 2005 (two added). Five-day confirmation stage Saturday, May 28, 2005 (13 go forward). 48-hour declaration stage 10.00am Wednesday, June 1, 2005. (Form figures correct up to Saturday, May 28, 2005 and may not include some overseas form).
Form Horse Owner Trainer
1-122 ARGENTINA (IRE) Ecurie Wildenstein Elie Lellouche FR
614-1 CASSYDORA Hesmonds Stud John Dunlop
5-31 DREAM TO DRESS (USA) Moyglare Stud Farms Ltd Dermot Weld IRE
11 ESWARAH Hamdan Al Maktoum Michael Jarvis
10-0 FEN SHUI* Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
62-12 HIGHER LOVE (IRE) DGH Partnership Michael Bell
116-200 JOINT ASPIRATION Ridgeway Downs Racing Mick Channon
41611-6 MAGICAL ROMANCE (IRE) Con Wilson Brian Meehan
424(0)-40 MONA LISA Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
01220-0 PICTAVIA (IRE) Maktoum Al Maktoum Jim Bolger IRE
2110-64 SILK AND SCARLET Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
001112-1 SOMETHING EXCITING Setsquare Recruitment David Elsworth
0132-110 VIRGINIA WATERS* Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
13 entries remain after the five-day and supplementary entry stages
5 Irish-trained
1 French-trained
*supplemented
THE 2005 VODAFONE CORONATION CUP
Class 1, Group One, £250,000 Total Prize Fund, Epsom Downs, Friday, June 3, 2005. For four-year-olds & upwards. One mile, four furlongs and about ten yards. Weights: colts & geldings 9st; fillies 8st 11lb. Entries closed April 6, entries revealed April 13 (33 entries), forfeit stage May 17 (20 remain), £20,000 supplementary entry stage May 28, five-day-confirmation stage May 28 (13 go forward), final declaration stage 10.00am, June 1. Form figures are correct up to and including Saturday, May 28, 2005.
Form Horse Age Owner Trainer
163/14-23 ACROPOLIS (IRE) 4 Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
4311-146 ALKAADHEM 5 Hamdan Al Maktoum Marcus Tregoning
22/2112-1 ALKAASED (USA) 5 M R Charlton Luca Cumani
010330-03 BANDARI (IRE) 6 Hamdan Al Maktoum Mark Johnston
2112-(4)0 CHERRY MIX (FR) 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
112/104- MUBTAKER (USA) 8 Hamdan Al Maktoum Marcus Tregoning
115/111-5 PAPINEAU 5 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
43304-5 POWERSCOURT 5 Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
352301-2d PRIDE (FR) 5 N P Bloodstock Alain de Royer Dupre FR
311021-2 REEFSCAPE 4 Khalid Abdulla Andre Fabre FR
213131- SHIROCCO (GER) 4 Baron Georg von Ullmann Andreas Schutz GER
201000-4 WARRSAN (IRE) 7 Saeed Manana Clive Brittain
1/11-2 YEATS (IRE) 4 Sue Magnier & Diane Nagle Aidan O'Brien IRE
13 entries remain after the five-day stage
3 Irish-trained
2 French-trained
1 German-trained
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