Thundery heavy showers in Dublin last night.

The step-up in trip proved the key for Iridessa. She’d won the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket last October beating Hermosa, in May in the 1000 Guineas, and again at the Curragh for the Irish equivalent, she lacked the gears and was short of pace when battle commenced (turned over by Hermosa both times), she subsequently thrived over the two furlong longer trip.

Prior to the Pretty Polly Pink Dogwood went off favourite for the Epsom Oaks. She came with a clear run down the outside but was beaten a neck by Anapurna with the re-opposing Fleeting, also a Ballydoyle inmate 1¼L behind her in third, Ralph Beckett’s, Manuela De Vega, who also re-opposes was a further 1L in arrears in fourth.

While Pink Dogwood made up a lot of ground on the outside it was Fleeting who caught the eye, coming from behind having not got a clear run, when switched left, she ate up the ground always closing. She was out quickly, sent to Royal Ascot for the Ribblesdale, she went off market leader and much like Epsom had a troubled run, breaking slowly she had to come from behind, again she ate up the ground but couldn’t get to John Gosden’s Star Catcher who’d got first run on her, both liked the cut in the ground.

Ralph Beckett also sends Antonia De Vega, back from an injury, pulled up lame behind Iridessa in the Fillies’ Mile as a juvenile, she put in a smart performance in a Newbury Listed event on soft last time out.

Peach Tree, asked to perform pacemaking duties at Epsom in the Oaks and at Royal Ascot in the Ribblesdale, ran well fading before the business end in both. She did get a confidence booster winning last week’s G3 Stanerra Stakes in good style at Leopardstown over a 1m6f. If given soft lead, can she do a Sovereign?

The Naas Oaks Trial was contested by the other Irish trio, Trethias won it for Jessica Harrington beating the favourite Dermot Weld’s Search For A Song with Jim Bolgers Operatice Export well back in seventh. It was only a second start for the Weld fillie, a previous maiden winner, she led and the pair pulled well clear with Trethias well on top at the finish. Both looked nice type’s, Trethias, the more experienced of the pair was beaten 5¾L by Pink Dogwood in April at Navan, the bare form not telling the story of the race, boxed in on the rail, snatched up two out, her chance was gone.

English fillies have had the upper hand in the last ten years, seven wins’s against Ireland’s two, both Aidan O’Brien’s, the other French trained. The last two year’s the visitors brought two of the highest class fillies in Sea Of Class and Enable. (Good to hear some positive news on Sea Of Class). It’s unlikely that this year’s visitors could be as good as either of them, it gives the home team hope.

The return here to the mile and a half will suit Pink Dogwood, Trethias could well bridge the gap with her, Iridessa will stay, Fleeting could get a clear run, you couldn’t rule out the Frankie factor on Star Catcher or even massive improvement from Search For A Song on only her third start, if some of that rain has got into the ground, then Antiona De Vega comes into it, if they give Peach Tree a silly start, they’ll pay Sovergien like.

An intriguing contest, if the last two are anything to go by, it won’t be Fleeting in the memory.

Recommendation: Fleeting 6/1 win