Above The Curve’s owners the Coolmore partners also have the hot favourite for this year’s renewal, staged at Chester on Wednesday, in the shape of Savethelastdance.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly, who won a Leopardstown maiden last month, is by Galileo. That phenomenal sire has supplied three previous Cheshire Oaks winners in Perfect Truth, Magic Wand and Thoughts Of June, who just denied Above The Curve. He is also responsible for a notable runner-up in Forever Together, who went on to score in the Oaks at Epsom.
Savethelastdance is the first foal out of Daddys Lil Darling, a daughter of Scat Daddy who won the American Oaks and finished second in the Kentucky Oaks, and was bought by Coolmore as a broodmare prospect for a cool $3.5 million in 2018.
Coolmore partner Michael Tabor is also a joint-owner, with Marc Chan, of Cheshire Oaks second favourite Luckin Brew. The Lope De Vega filly was sent out by Ralph Beckett to win a novice stakes at Kempton and to finish second in the Silver Tankard at Pontefract last year.
She was bred by Fermoir Ltd out of Witches Brew, a Listed-placed Duke Of Marmalade half-sister to Prix Jacques le Marois victor Al Wukair and maternal granddaughter of Prix de Diane heroine Caerlina. Witches Brew has already produced Princess Royal Stakes winner Antonia De Vega to Lope De Vega.
Ashtanga also appears to hold a leading chance in the Cheshire Oaks, having signed off her two-year-old season with an easy all-the-way victory in a Nottingham maiden.
The Freddie and Martyn Meade-trained filly has a stamina-packed family, being by Nathaniel – sire of the race’s most famous daughter, Enable – out of Yoga, a placed Monsun half-sister to German middle-distance Group 1 winner Saddex from the family of top-level scorers Aldebaran, Spinning World and War Of Will.
Sirona should stay well, too. The Charlie Johnston-trained and Dash Grange Stud-owned filly, a four-length winner of a Listed race at Cologne at two, was bred in Germany and is by Soldier Hollow, the source of German stars Dschingis Secret, Ivanhowe, Pastorius, Serienholde and Weltstar, out of Si Luna, a Group 3-winning daughter of Kallisto.
Sisyphus Strength is another strong stayer on paper. Trained by Andrew Balding for Victorious Racing, and an eye-catching fourth in the Montrose Stakes last year, she is by that fine middle-distance influence Sea The Stars – sire of 2014 Cheshire Oaks winner Anipa – out of Childa, a Listed-winning daughter of Duke Of Marmalade who is also dam of Prix La Force scorer Chilean.
Kevin Philippart de Foy’s Lingfield maiden winner Ermesinde won’t fail for lack of stamina, either. She is by Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe laureate Golden Horn out of Eye Witness, an unraced daughter of Adlerflug from a deep Germany family that has produced Singapore Cup hero Epalo and Height Of Fashion Stakes winner Elik.
Cite D’Or has a strong piece of form, having finished a close third to Epictetus in the Epsom Blue Riband Trial last time, and the Harry Eustace-trained and Nick Bradley Racing-owned filly is also bred to stay. She is by Galiway, best known as the sire of Champion Stakes winner Sealiway and star hurdlers Gala Marceau and Vauban, out of Tin Rebel, a winning daughter of Poule d’Essai des Poulains scorer Tin Horse.
There’s The Door, the wide-margin winner of a Doncaster handicap on her last start for David Evans, has an interesting pedigree as she is by Starspangledbanner, who has long been associated with crack juveniles and sprinters.
However, in recent years the Coolmore resident has also come up with Prince of Wales’s Stakes hero State Of Rest, Prix Jean Romanet winner Aristia and Hong Kong Mile scorer California Spangle. Indeed, he has already clicked with There’s The Door’s dam Callisto Star to produce last year’s American Oaks winner Rhea Moon.
Victory for Wintercrack in this year’s Cheshire Oaks would be some story. The Cracksman filly, who made all to land a Leicester maiden in good fashion last time out, is in the care of Pam Sly and is out of the Fenland trainer’s rags to riches 1,000 Guineas winner Speciosa, the dam of five other winners but none with black type – yet.