Alpinista’s a value bet in the Oaks

SIDE with rank outsider ALPINISTA (York, 3.15) to scale the giddy heights of Group One glory in this afternoon’s Yorkshire Oaks. First the disclaimer — Love will probably win. She is clearly the stand-out filly of her generation with toptable successes in the Guineas and Oaks already secured this summer. She may even prevail by a similar margin to the nine lengths recorded at Epsom when destroying an Oaks field left toiling by a sparkling turn of foot. However, her price today reflects her unquestionable ability and it may pay to think outside of the box in searching for some value for money, especially with showers forecast. In contrast to the hot favourite, Alpinista has raced a little under the radar in her career, given two of her five career starts have been across the Channel in France. This arguably led to her being underestimated by the market at Salisbury last week when she powered clear of a useful field to register a Listed success. Admittedly, the level of that three-length defeat of Award Scheme is some way short of what is required to win a Group One on the Knavesmire this afternoon. But we have seen her trainer, Sir Mark Prescott, pull off surprises of this nature in previous seasons in these colours with fillies which had plenty to find on official ratings. Hopefully, Alpinista will be ridden aggressively again. If rider Ryan Tate can once again execute well-judged frontrunning tactics, she may outrun her massive morning odds as she proved in France that some ease in the ground is no inconvenience.