Shareta bidding for Yorkshire Oaks crown Alain de Royer-Dupre believes Shareta will be suited by the long York straight when she bids to register her first Group One victory in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York today/. The four-year-old filly has performed creditably without success at the top level, most notably in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when she was second to Danedream last autumn. The Aga Khan's charge has not won for 12 months, but she has maintained her consistency and was runner-up behind Meandre in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on her latest start. "She looks well which is why we decided to go to York. She travelled over this morning," said Royer-Dupre. "Deauville is a little track which is why we are not running her there. "She does not have a great turn of foot. She is a stayer as she showed when she was second in the Arc. "She ran a strong race that day and we hope she will race like that. "I think it is interesting to try her at York. She prefers good ground to soft. Good ground would be OK for the filly." Wild Coco made a triumphant return after almost 12 months off the track when scoring at Glorious Goodwood in great style from Shareta's stable companion Jehannedarc. Her trainer Sir Henry Cecil expects her to have benefited from the outing. "The Yorkshire Oaks is a very hot race but she will have come on for her win at Goodwood and deserves to take her chance," he said. "She will run except if the ground is too firm for her." The Fugue came out on top from the Cecil-trained Timepiece in the Group One Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood and bids to follow up for the John Gosden stable. "The Fugue has been in good form since the Nassau and she goes well on the track," said the Newmarket trainer. "She is stepping back up in trip but she is in good order." Was, trained by Aidan O'Brien, was beaten two and three-quarter lengths in third place that day but had earlier won the Investec Oaks at Epsom. "She will be right at home in the conditions. She showed in the Oaks what she wants is a mile and a half and fast ground," said Joseph O'Brien, son of the trainer. "Since she won the Oaks she ran in soft ground at home and over 10 furlongs at Goodwood." Trainer Hughie Morrison saddles Shirocco Star and Coquet, who were second and sixth respectively behind Was at Epsom. Shirocco Star has since finished third behind Princess Highway in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot and second to Great Heavens in the Irish Oaks. "She's been unbelievable. Second in two Classics and very close, especially in our own Oaks," said the East Ilsley handler. "She's done better than we dare hope but we always thought she was pretty good. "I definitely think she's got it in her to win a big race. Whether it is something as strong as the Yorkshire Oaks, time will tell. "Probably her best surface is good ground. She's got plenty of speed and she settles very well. "She's had a hard year. One time this year she is going to go over the top. "Hopefully it won't be at York on Thursday." Coquet has not run since Epsom and had a setback at a crucial time preparing for York. Morrison told At The Races: "I expect Shirocco Star to finish ahead of her, mainly because Coquet has had a bit of a lay-off and we were going perfectly well for this week then she pulled a shoe off a couple of weeks ago and she had to have four days off. "She bruised a foot so she missed what I felt was a critical bit of work. "She will run well, but she just could need the run."
