Class and trip drop make Falmouth runner-up Jabaara a leading contender in Oak Tree Stakes

The Oak Tree Stakes is a direct, sex-restricted competitor to Tuesday's Lennox Stakes. Both are Group races, over a distance of seven furlongs which some claim to be neglected by the Pattern. Yet you rarely hear complaints about this race dragging down the Lennox.

That says plenty, as the Oak Tree is rarely a source of great talent. Among recent winners, only One Master had open-sex prospects in this grade or higher. In that context, this is a good renewal.

Poule d'Essai des Pouliches second Kathmandu has a BHA rating that only One Master can better among recent Oak Tree runners. Racing Post Ratings have taken a cooler assessment of this year's French 1,000 Guineas.

Even behind her, Jabaara's official mark of 108 is high by this race's standards. RPRs, and the early market, think this is the more justified of the two figures.

Jabaara (yellow): chased home Porta Fortuna in the Falmouth Stakes at NewmarketCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Jabaara has taken off since her sprinting career was abandoned. She won Listed races at Musselburgh and Carlisle, before chasing home Porta Fortuna in the Falmouth. She deserves to be favourite here.

Both Kathmandu and Jabaara are three-year-olds. The Oak Tree is following other Pattern races in that younger horses are increasingly dominant. The first five home last year were three-year-olds and a majority of this field are the same.

The other most interesting three-year-olds share Jabaara's sprinting background. Raqiya ran her best race over Salisbury's stiff six-furlong course, hitting the line hard. Stop The Cavalry made the most of a slow finish at Chester last time. Her form is all on soft ground, but it may be that she has needed it for her stamina rather than comfort. If that is the case, then she deserves to be taken seriously at double-figure odds in a race that often does not take much winning as Group 3s go.
Race analysis by Keith Melrose

Glorious Goodwood live blog

• Join Jack Haynes from 10am on Wednesday for live coverage, tips and insight on day two of Glorious Goodwood, only on racingpost.com.

Drop to seven furlongs ideal for classy Jabaara

Jabaara is one of two fillies taking a significant drop in grade having contested a Group 1 over a mile last time, and her trainer Roger Varian believes this represents her ideal conditions.

The three-year-old showed her class with an excellent second to Porta Fortuna in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket after landing Listed races at Musselburgh and Carlisle over this trip in June.

"She's in great form," Varian said. "As well as she ran in the Falmouth, I think she's going to prove best at seven. I think the test of this race will be right up her street. She's drawn a little wide which would be a slight negative, and I think it's a strong race, but she should run well."

Jabaara: a cosy winner at Carlisle under James Doyle in JuneCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Jabaara has entries in the Hungerford, City of York and Park Stakes over the same distance at Group 2 level and Varian is keen to strike while the iron is hot with the progressive type.

He said: "We don't have an ultimate aim with her. She's a Listed winner and she's been second in a Group 1, so we're getting to the stage where anything else is a bonus.

"The priority would be to win a Group race with her, which hopefully we have a good chance of doing here. She's had a busy summer with three runs in seven or eight weeks and she likes summer ground, so I don't know how far into the autumn she'll take us."

What they say

John Quinn, joint-trainer of Breege
It looks the ideal race for her. We were delighted with her run at Chester, she seems in very good form and she's run well at Goodwood in the past.

Breege (centre, purple hat): won the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom in JuneCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Oisin Murphy, rider of Vetiver
David Probert gave her a lovely ride at Chelmsford when she won last time. Very fast ground might be a concern for her.

Richard Hughes, trainer of Fair Angellica
She didn't stay the mile in the Sandringham. We've got a good draw. I'll be a little bit concerned if it gets very quick but hopefully they might have a shower. They said it was good to soft when she won in Deauville last time but it was more like good to firm. Having Ryan Moore on top is a bonus.

Brian Meehan, trainer of Kathmandu
She's got a great chance. The draw is good, the ground will suit and I think she'll love the track. It's an obvious race to go for being a fillies' race and a Group 3 – it gives us the chance to come down a notch and hopefully win a stakes race. She's doing nothing wrong. She keeps improving and she's consistent.

Angus Gold, racing manager to Shadwell Estates, owners of Raqiya
It's going to be interesting to see what she does, as she's stepping up an extra furlong. She beat the older horses nicely at Salisbury this year and we all felt the other day that she could try seven furlongs. We'll see how she handles it over an easier trip at this track.
Reporting by Maddy Playle

Read more like this:

'You haven't seen the best of him yet' - who might get off to a flyer in the opener on day two? 

'She goes there in flying form and looks a very exciting runner' - analysis and quotes for an open Molecomb 

'He looks fantastic' - can Notable Speech bounce back from 'strange' Ascot run against Henry Longfellow in the Sussex Stakes? 

'The long run after the last will suit his style' - which trainer is expecting a late surge in the Galway Plate? 

Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.