Lingfield Oaks Trial: Easy victory for Secret Gesture

Ralph Beckett won the Oaks with Look Here in 2008

Secret Gesture ran out a deeply impressive winner of the Oaks Trial at Lingfield...

Always travelling sweetly just off the pace set by Miss You Too, jockey Jim Crowley could afford to look over both shoulders at the two-furlong pole before easing the even-money favourite to the lead.

Ralph Beckett's filly stretched easily clear from there, with fully 10 lengths in hand of the long-time leader at the line.

Beckett has a fine record in the Lingfield race and in 2008 his Look Here finished second before going on to land the Oaks at Epsom. Secret Gesture is now one of the market leaders for the Epsom Classic, trading at 5.85/1.

Beckett said: "That was probably better than I expected. I'm not sure she has beaten much but I'm very pleased with how she has shown up today. The ground will be different in three weeks but I can't see quicker ground being any problem."

Crowley said: "The way she did it, you'd have to be impressed and she has got terrific balance. The weather changing hasn't helped but she's a nice moving filly and we've always thought quicker ground wouldn't be a problem."

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