Tarfasha ticks all the right boxes in Irish Oaks

After owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s late decision to re-route Taghrooda to the King George the way now looks clear for his Tarfasha to land today’s Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh (4.45).

The Dermot Weld trained filly has only had five starts, and looked a potential top notch prospect when landing a listed contest on her reappearance at Naas by three lengths.

The daughter of Teofilo then confirmed that view when running a cracker to finish runner-up to Taghrooda in the Investec Oaks at Epsom last month.

Although no match for the easy winner, Tarfasha travelled strongly into the contest three from home and stuck to the task well when edging left and getting badly bumped a furlong from home.

It was an effort which suggested that Tarfasha would be far more at home on a conventional track, and this galloping venue should certainly play to her strengths.

The three-year-old still looks far from the finished article and open to further progression, and looks a worthy favourite to proved Weld with his third winner in the contest following the successes of Blue Wind (1981) and Dance Design (1996).

The obvious danger to Tarfashsa is Volume, who finished just a nose behind her in the Investec Oaks.

Trained by Luca Cumani, Volume has won three of her six starts and is progressing at a rate of knots.

The daughter of Mount Nelson was all at sea on the camber at Epsom, and only lost second place on the line after hanging badly left from the furlong marker.

There is little to choose between Volume and Tarfasha on that running, but the selection has the stronger overall form in the book and is taken to confirm the placings.

Another that shoudln’t be underestimated is the Aidan O’Brien trained Marvellous who could finish only sixth in the Investec Oaks when sent off favourite.

The daughter of Galileo may well have found the run coming too quickly after success in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, and could prove a different proposition this time around.