Jockey Ryan Moore admits Minding has not had ideal preparation for Friday‘s Investec Oaks but is confident of Epsom glory.
The 32-year-old partnered the filly to victory in the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, with a three-and-a-half-length success over Ballydoyle.
However, she was then touched off by Jet Setting in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh on May 22 after banging her head while exiting the stalls.
That could have been a reason why she failed to take the race but Moore feels it was more down to conditions underfoot.
“I think that she just found the ground too soft for her against a filly who relished the conditions, and the pair did pull 10 lengths clear of the third,” he wrote in his Betfair blog.
“So, yes, you could say that she hasn’t had an ideal preparation for this race and that she would want better ground, though it can dry out very quickly here.”
However, Moore is adamant that his mount can deal with her rivals and conditions in this year’s showpiece.
“In my opinion she will stay well enough in this company, as I think the form book tells you that she goes into the race as much the best filly and, to be honest, I am struggling to see one that I am afraid of,” he added.
