Santa battles to Newbury success

Santa Isobel was dismissed as a 50-1 chance for the Vodafone Oaks after winning her trial at Newbury today. And her trainer Ian Balding thinks the price is right.

Victor Chandler wrote off the filly`s Epsom chance after seeing her gutsy front-running display under Kieren Fallon in the Cantor Index `Good Luck Audley Harrison!` Fillies Trial Stakes.

Fallon made all the running on Santa Isobel and, having stretched the advantage in the straight, made his mount find extra reserves to hold the favourite by a head, with the third, Fully Invested, nine lengths away.

William Hill were sufficiently impressed to slash Santa Isobel from 50-1 to 12-1 for Epsom, but Balding, seeking a first success in the Oaks, chuckled: 'I think 50`s is a bit nearer the mark.

'She`s in the Oaks and I`d never really considered her in that class, but having won her Listed race she might as well have a go. She will stay, I`m sure. She`s very well bred and now she`s won here she`s a very valuable filly.

'Kieren said she was very game and that if the runner-up had come to him sooner she would have picked up some more.'

Mick Channon is eyeing a second success in four years in Royal Ascot`s Queen Mary Stakes after unveiling Queen`s Logic in the Highclere Stud Fillies` Conditions Stakes.

Channon won the Queen Mary in 1998 with Bint Allayl, and after seeing Queen`s Logic skip clear under Craig Williams in the final furlong to beat Lady Dominatrix by a comfortable three-quarters of a length, he indicated that the contest was on the agenda.

'We always knew she was a decent filly. It was just the ground that was the worry, as ours have been getting found out a bit first time up.'

Richard Hannon added another name to his Royal Ascot squad after Zilch, runner-up in the Gimcrack in his first season, brushed aside his trainer`s reservations over his match-sharpness with a convincing victory in the Cantor Index Conditions Stakes.

Held up by Dane O`Neill as his stablemate and favourite Bram Stoker led, Zilch moved into the lead entering the final furlong and stretched clear to beat Ceepio by one and a quarter lengths.

'I was a bit frightened to run him as mine have been running so poorly first time out but there are very few races for a horse like him,' said Hannon, who is contemplating either the Jersey Stakes or the Cork and Orrery Stakes for Zilch.

'I`ve put him in the Cork and Orrery already and this will have paid some of the expenses on the way.'

Pat Eddery rode his 34th - and probably easiest - winner of the championship campaign when John Dunlop`s Villa Carlotta dotted up against two rivals in the cantorindex.com London Gold Cup Rated Stakes.