Lope de Lilas inexperienced but hopeful for Irish Oaks

She may only be the winner of a maiden race, but Lope de Lilas won in such an appealing manner in May that she is rated among the contenders for Saturday’s Group 1 Irish Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/2 miles at the Curragh in Ireland.

Lope de Lilas has a trainer well known for success in preparing inexperienced horses for major stakes. Willie Mullins, the world’s leading jump racing trainer, has frequently had a presence in leading flat races around the world in recent years, including the Melbourne Cup and occasional runners in staying races in the United States.

Mullins is known for the rapid development of some of his younger hurdlers in advance of major races at Cheltenham or Aintree racecourses in Britain, or the springtime Punchestown festival in Ireland.

Lope de Lilas was fifth in her lone start at 2 last year, and won a maiden race at 1 1/4 miles at Leopardstown on May 12. The $544,000 Irish Oaks will be the stakes debut for Lope de Lilas, who is by Lope de Vega and is owned by Wathnan Racing.

Lope de Lilas is part of a competitive group of 14 in the Irish Oaks that includes two highly regarded runners trained by Aidan O’Brien in Content and Port Fairy.

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Content will be ridden by Ryan Moore, who rides first-string for O’Brien. Moore was expected to ride Port Fairy until entries were finalized and post positions were drawn on Thursday. Wayne Lordan has the mount on Port Fairy.

Content has won 2 of 10 starts, but is winless in three Group 1 races this year. By Galileo, Content was third by 4 1/4 lengths in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at 1 1/4 miles against older fillies and mares at the Curragh on June 29. This will be her first start at 1 1/2 miles.

Port Fairy, a winner of 2 of 4 starts, won her group stakes debut in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Royal Ascot in Britain on June 20. Port Fairy finished a neck in front of Lava Stream, who was supplemented to the Irish Oaks for approximately $54,400 earlier this week.

As of Thursday, Port Fairy was a slight favorite at 9-2.

The Irish Oaks has a post time of 10:40 a.m. Eastern or 7:40 a.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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