England: Gosden tries to keep run going with The Fugue in Yorkshire Oaks

Trainer John Gosden’s remarkable run with fillies this summer can continue on Thursday when The Fugue starts as the favorite in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks for fillies and mares at York Racecourse.

Gosden’s wins in Group 1 stakes for fillies and mares this year include the Coronation Stakes with Fallen For You at Royal Ascot in June; the Pretty Polly Stakes with Izzi Top in Ireland in July; and the Prix Rothschild at Deauville France in July with Elusive Kate.

The Fugue won the Group 1 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, England, on Aug. 4. The Nassau Stakes was run over 1 1/4 miles. The Yorkshire Oaks, the rare Oaks race open to older fillies and mares, is run over 1 1/2 miles.

The Fugue, who races for Andrew Lloyd Webber, will be ridden by William Buick, Gosden’s first-call rider.

The Yorkshire Oaks has drawn three 4-year-olds and four 3-year-olds.

The France-based Shareta, second in the 2011 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, makes her first trip to England for the Yorkshire Oaks. Trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre, Shareta was second in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on June 24.

◗ In Tuesday’s Group 2 Prix de la Nonette at Deauville, Romantica won her first stakes at the expense of the previously unbeaten Ridasiyna, who finished fifth.

The 7-2 Romantica, trained by Andre Fabre for Khalid Abdullah, won the race over 1 1/4 miles by 1 1/2 lengths over Leaupartie. Ridasiyna, the 3-5 favorite, led in the final quarter-mile but faded to lose by two lengths.

Romantica, 3, is by Galileo out of Banks Hill, the Eclipse Award winner as the champion turf female of 2001.