First four home in Irish Oaks clash in York equivalent

Thursday's feature Group 1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks at the York Ebor Festival is set to provide a rematch between the first four home in the Irish Oaks run at the Curragh a month ago in which Godolphin's Blue Bunting beat Jim Bolger's Banimpire by a short-head, with Ballydoyle's Wonder of Wonders half-a-length away in third and the Jessica Harrington-trained Laughing Lashes only a short-head further back in fourth.

With so little covering the first four home it could be suggested that the form is nothing special, but already the fifth placed Dancing Rain, (a brave winner of the Investec Oaks at Epsom in June), has come out and well and truly franked the form by hacking up in the Group 1 German Oaks at Dusseldorf recently, whilst Banimpire accounted for the very useful Dunboyne Express in the Group 2 Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh last week as well.

Connections of Laughing Lashes are more than hopeful that they can gain their revenge on at least some of the fillies who finished narrowly in front of them in the Irish classic, Jessica Harrington convinced that if the ground doesn't ride soft then her tough as teak daughter of Mr Greeley can give a very good account of herself having been knocking on the door in top races throughout the season.

In May Laughing Lashes ran a tremendous race to be a close third to Misty For Me in the Irish 1000 Guineas, (doing all her best work at the finish), before being given a break and coming back to run so well over the extra half mile in the Irish Oaks last time out, staying on to hold every chance a hundred yards out and keeping on bravely despite jockey Fran Berry dropping his whip at a vital stage.

Meanwhile, the 2011 St leger festival is drawing ever nearer and once again Doncaster will serve up a feast of racing.