Fascinating Vodafone Oaks In Prospect A fascinating Vodafone Oaks is in prospect following today's forfeit stage, which sees 26 top-class fillies - 10 more than last year - going forward for the £375,000 Classic, run over a mile and a half at Epsom Downs on Vodafone Ladies Day, Friday, June 2.Sir Michael Stoute, successful with Fair Salinia (1978) and Unite (1987), looks to hold a very strong hand with Short Skirt, winner of the Group Three Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York as well as Riyalma and Sindirana, both owned by the Aga Khan and triumphant in Newmarket's Pretty Polly Stakes and the Lingfield Oaks Trial respectively last time out. Sir Michael also has Scottish Stage who won the Swettenham Stud Fillies' Trial Stakes at Newbury today.Aidan O'Brien, who sent out Shahtoush (1998) and Imagine (2001) to success in the Vodafone Oaks, has four remaining entries in the fillies' Classic including Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial winner Queen Cleopatra, and Alexandrova, second to Short Skirt in Wednesday's Musidora Stakes.Confidential Lady came second in the Stan James 1000 Guineas and her trainer Sir Mark Prescott is seeking a first Classic victory.John Gosden has five fillies engaged including last season's Group One Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile winner Nannina, who was 12th in the 1000 Guineas, and Innocent Airwho captured the Listed Washington Singer Stakes at Newbury last term and ran in the Swettenham Stud Fillies' Trial Stakes today, coming fifth.Recent impressive Cheshire Oaks victor Time On, trained by John Dunlop and a great-grand-daughter of the brilliant 1982 Oaks heroine Time Charter, could join Speciosa at the £20,000 supplementary entry stage for the Vodafone Oaks on May 27.Speciosa, heroine of the Stan James 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 7, is not among the entries but could be added at the supplementary stage on May 27, in a bid to gain a remarkable second Classic success for her Cambridgeshire-based trainer, Pam Sly.
