O'Brien bids for first Musidora Aidan O'Brien is hoping Cabaret can steal the show as he seeks to win the Musidora for the first time at York today. The Ballydoyle trainer has picked up most of the important Group races in Europe but this major Classic trial has eluded him so far. Cabaret looked a bright prospect when landing a Group Three contest at Leopardstown in July but was out of luck when she was tailed off in the Prix Marcel Boussac after her saddle slipped at Longchamp in October. O'Brien hopes the daughter of Galileo can put the record straight. "She won a Group race at Leopardstown last year, but her saddled slipped in the Boussac and it was a non-event," he said. "She is just ready to start and if she runs a nice race then we have something to look forward to." Aviate bids to give owner Prince Khalid Abdullah and trainer Henry Cecil another string to their Investec Oaks bow. The Dansili filly defends her 100% record in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes when she will try to go one better than her stablemate Timepiece, who was runner-up in the Lingfield Oaks Trial on Saturday. Cecil has won the Group Three contest eight times and relies on Aviate, who steps up to an extended mile and a quarter after two wins over a mile. "We like her, but this is very much a fact-finding mission," said the owner's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe. "She has entries pretty much ranging from a mile to a mile and a half and hopefully this race will show us which path we need to follow." Bikini Babe ran in both the UAE 1000 Guineas and Oaks in Dubai during the winter before returning to England for the summer campaign. However, trainer Mark Johnston was not overjoyed with her performance when fourth behind Chabal in the bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown but the runner-up Azmeel franked the form when winning the Dee Stakes at Chester last week. "I wasn't entirely pleased with her run at Sandown. It could have been a bit better though she was up against colts. Interestingly, the handicapper dropped her 2lb for that," said the Middleham trainer. "She's going into this purely on paper with a bit to find. She's done very little wrong, she's a progressive filly and I've had the Musidora in mind all winter. "They may have been easier races. A couple of the Oaks trials have broken up badly and have been a bit easier than this one, but this is the race I've aimed for so I decided to stick with it." The Paul Cole-trained Pink Symphony got off the mark with a smooth win in a Newbury maiden four weeks ago and hopes are high she can make her presence felt. "She's a really nice filly, she ran a couple of nice races last season then she started this year really well and won easily at Newbury," her big-race rider Jamie Spencer told At The Races. "She won a fillies' maiden that generally works out well and I thought it rode a nice race. She has a nice draw and I'd be disappointed if she isn't in the placings. "She has worked nicely and hopefully she has come on a little bit from Newbury. She's a well-bred filly, she's a half-sister to Fantasia so we'd be hoping she'd run a big race." Red Fantasy made a pleasing reappearance when runner-up to Marie De Medici in the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket earlier this month and her trainer Barry Hills feels she can build on that promise. "She looks like she has improved from her very good run at Newmarket and we are hopeful of a bold show," the Lambourn trainer told www.barryhills.com. Cracking Lass was a respectable fifth to Coordinated Cut at Newmarket last month but her trainer Richard Fahey accepts she has plenty on her plate. "We are trying to get a bit of black type with her and if she can finish in the first four we would be delighted," said the North Yorkshire handler. "She is a timid filly and we've been trying to find a race with a few runners in as she is afraid of everything."
