Protectress returns at Newbury

Protectress makes her long-awaited seasonal reappearance at Newbury tomorrow as she bids to book her place in the Vodafone Oaks.

Henry Cecil`s filly missed an intended engagement in the Sagitta 1000 Guineas as she was slow to come to hand.

But her one run as a juvenile in the Listed Oh So Sharp Stakes resulted in the daughter of Hector Protector being made a leading fancy for the Epsom Classic on June 8th.

And those claims will be tested in the Swettenham Stud Fillies` Trial Stakes over 10 furlongs of the Berkshire track.

She faces six rivals in the Listed contest although it is unlikely that she will have to beat the quality of filly that she did at Newmarket.

Runner-up that day was subsequent 1000 Guineas second Snowfire, and in third was current Oaks favourite Islington, who landed the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York on Tuesday.

Chief opposition tomorrow would appear to be the Geoff Wragg-trained Monturani, who landed the Listed Swinley Stakes on her reappearance, and John Gosden`s once-raced maiden winner, Ballet Score.

'She`s fine. She`s in good nick - I suppose Geoff Wragg`s horse is the danger,' said Teddy Beckett, racing manager to owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, today. 'Protectress`s form looks good _ the Oaks would be a possibility.'

Cecil also has Revealing in the Oaks but Beckett added that she is unlikely to make the line-up for the fillies` Classic.

'She`s still going to take a bit more time yet,' he said. 'I would think she would be very unlikely to run in the Oaks.'

Both fillies are quoted at 16-1 by William Hill for Epsom.