Daily Star Sunday

LAURENS IN YORK MISSION

Home run then Arc

- ■ by JASON HEAVEY

LEADING owner John Dance has revealed his double dream of winning the Yorkshire Oaks AND the Prix de l’Arc deTriomphe with Classic filly Laurens.

The French Oaks heroine is being primed to try to emulate Enable – who won on the Knavesmire before galloping to Arc glory in France last October. Laurens is trained near Middleham in North Yorkshire by Karl Burke and is owned by North East-based Dance (below).

The owner told the Daily Star Sunday: “The Yorkshire Oaks is the dream. It’s our home race and the premier fillies’ Group One race in the north. “She’s won twice in France and maybe hasn’t had the credit she deserves. “But she’s coming home to Yorkshire and if she wins I’ll definitely be changing the words to that song!” Laurens was second in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket over a mile before winning the Prix Saint Alary and Prix de Diane over 1m 2f.

She sidesteppe­d yesterday’s Irish Oaks at the Curragh and is enjoying a mid-season break in preparatio­n for York on August 23 – day two of the Ebor Festival. Dance added: “It will be a new trip over 1m 4f but if she stays it will open up opportunit­ies for later in the season. I would then love to have a go at the Arc.

“She is a wonderful filly and I don’t think we have seen the best of her.

“Physically she is still growing. People say she is tough and gutsy but she is also clever. She doesn’t win by far but she knows how to win. “If a horse comes to her she will find a bit extra although she keeps a bit up her sleeve. I’ve joked with Karl that she would make a good handicappe­r!”

Dance also has high hopes for speedy juvenile Cosmic Law, trained by Richard Fahey. The two-year-old, an easy winner of the Woodcote on Epsom Derby day, will go for either the Richmond Stakes or Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

“PJ McDonald couldn’t get any cover in the Coventry Stakes and he was a bit isolated. He was also caught a bit flat footed.”

Dance has several unraced juveniles yet to appear but nominated a couple of fillies to follow later in this season – Requiremen­t and Angelic Motion, both trained by Burke.

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