Shift Set To Bid For Oaks Double

Vodafone Oaks heroine Light Shift is poised to bid for the double achieved by Alexandrova last year in the Darley-sponsored Irish equivalent on July 15.

The Niarchos family-owned filly held off Peeping Fawn by a cosy half a length at Epsom last week to give trainer Henry Cecil an emotional eighth success in the race.

Connections had warned in the immediate aftermath that the Curragh event may come too soon, but she is reported to have thrived in the meantime and Alan Cooper, racing manager to the owners, told PA Sport the Irish Classic is now a distinct possibility.

'We´ve been talking to Henry Cecil this morning and the filly appears to have taken her race at Epsom very well, so there is a good possibility that she will run in the Irish Oaks,' said Cooper.

'We thought after the race the Curragh may just come a bit too soon, but you always need a few days to see how they take the race and Henry is very pleased with her, so therefore he has said it is quite possible we will go for it now.

'After the Irish Oaks the Nassau would be a possibility, but it comes quite quick afterwards. It is certainly not ruled out by any means. If she were to step back to 10 furlongs we would be confident she wouldn´t have any problems with it.

'At the moment the Irish Oaks is a definite possibility and her subsequent programme will be taken from there.'

Cecil won both the English and Irish Oaks with Ramruma in 1999.

(C) PA Sport