Luca Cumani hopes to right his record in the English Oaks at Epsom on Friday when he saddles Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s Lady Of Dubai.
Cumani has gone close three times in the fillies’ Classic, no more so than on his first attempt when he sent out Freeze The Secret to finish second and Vaguely Deb to follow her home in third.
In 1988 Sudden Love finished four lengths adrift of Diminuendo, owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, while Shamshir was second in 1991 and Volume was third 12 months ago.
Cumani has clearly mastered the art of training a horse to go around Epsom’s famous camber. He has won the Derby twice, which includes providing Sheikh Mohammed Obaid with his greatest victory when High Rise scooped the Blue Riband in 1998.
Lady Of Dubai faces 10 rivals, headed by English 1000 Guineas winner Legatissimo as well as four Oaks trial winners.
Should Cumani finally put his Oaks hoodoo to rest, Lady Of Dubai would be certainly the filly with which to do so.
“I have been involved with this filly right from the very start of her life and she has always been a good looker who has shown promise,” Cumani said.
“It would be great to win a Classic with a horse that I both bred and trained.”
Lady Of Dubai has most of the attributes of an Oaks winner, but it remains to be seen whether she quite has the class.
She showed by winning the Listed Height Of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood a fortnight ago that she has the required balance, poise and probable stamina to last home the Classic distance.
For jockey Adam Kirby, a ride in the race will seal his retainer with Sheikh Mohammed’s cousin after he was appointed last season.
“She did everything nicely at Goodwood,” he said. “I am really looking forward to it, but the plan will be just to keep it simple and do nothing silly.”
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