Oaks runner-up bids for Group Two glory It is not quite a Classic but David Lanigan will settle for the next best thing if Meeznah is rewarded in Thursday's DFS Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster. A neck second to Snow Fairy in the Investec Oaks before finishing fourth in both the Irish and Yorkshire versions, it is fair to say Meeznah has taken the Newmarket trainer's career to great new heights. Lanigan has warned particularly testing ground would scupper her chances in the Group Two race commonly referred to as the fillies' St Leger and will assess the ground at Town Moor before giving a final go-ahead. "She seems in good order and hopefully the ground will be fine," said Lanigan, who has booked Kieren Fallon to ride. "Like most horses, she likes good ground and wouldn't want it that soft. Hopefully it will stay dry and they will race on the ground on Wednesday, so it should be OK." Lanigan did not rule out Meeznah running again this season after the Park Hill and added: "I'm thinking about a couple of options but let's get this race out of the way first. "It would be great for the filly to get a first Group win under her belt, but there are a lot of other nice fillies in there." The step up to a mile and six furlongs is an unknown factor for many of the runners, including Marcus Tregoning's Rumoush. She was fourth in the Oaks and is reported to have thrived since finishing third in a Group Three contest at Deauville six weeks ago. "There is obviously a bit of a question mark about the trip but I saw her a week ago and thought she'd done particularly well physically since Deauville," said owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's racing manager Angus Gold. "We'll just have to see whether she stays and whether she's good enough. "Marcus has always thought a lot of her and as long as the ground is not too soft, it should be fine." Shimmering Surf represents Peter Winkworth and is out to avenge a particularly unfortunate defeat in the European Breeders' Fund Chalice Stakes at Newbury last month. Lightly-raced this season, the Salisbury maiden winner was checked when making her run but closed to a short-head behind Pachattack. Winkworth said: "She's going fine but it's a highly competitive race. "She is obviously going up significantly in both trip and class but she has improved with every run this season and must have been one of the unluckiest losers of the year at Newbury. "A drop of rain would help and I'm hopeful of a good run." Richard Hannon, who won the race a year ago with The Miniver Rose, relies upon Middle Club. She has been campaigned mainly on the continent, taking second in the Italian Oaks before a third in the Prix Minerve-Shadwell in Deauville last time. "Obviously this is a step up in trip but she was not stopping at the end of the extended mile and a half at Deauville and she is an out-and-out galloper who we think will stay," the trainer told www.richardhannonracing.tv. "She was only just touched off in the Italian Oaks and has also been placed in two Group races in France, so she deserves a change of luck, and Monday's rain will definitely have helped as she enjoys an ease in the ground." Dyna Waltz has her first start since winning the Lingfield Oaks Trial in the spring while Roses For The Lady represents John Oxx.
