Racing: Intrepidity's success may keep her away from Bight

INTREPIDITY won the Prix Saint Alary smoothly for Andre Fabre and Sheikh Mohammed at Longchamp yesterday, so smoothly that she may be asked to take on the colts in the Prix du Jockey Club rather than confront her stable-companion Wemyss Bight in the Oaks. The French equivalent of that race, the Prix de Diane, is another option.

The filly, a daughter of Sadler's Wells, maintained her unbeaten record in clear-cut fashion, striking the front a furlong out under Thierry Jarnet and comfortably holding Dancienne by a length. The doubts about Intrepidity's participation at Epsom prompted Ladbrokes and William Hill to take her out of the Oaks betting but Coral leave her in their list, cutting her price to 6-1 (from 10-1).

She is preceded in their betting by only Wemyss Bight and Yawl, whose trainer, Barry Hills, signalled a return to form with the victory of Nicer in Saturday's Irish 1,000 Guineas. Yawl's participation at Epsom will be decided after a midweek gallop.

The pounds 100,000 first prize for yesterday's Oaks d'Italia at San Siro will be heading to Britain after the victory of the Paul Cole-trained Bright Generation. Alan Munro steered the filly home from the locally-trained pair Rose Violet and Zaffera who were followed home by John Dunlop's well- fancied Talented, Ancestral Dancer, who won the Italian equivalent of the 1,000 Guineas for Michael Bell, and Cole's other runner, Brightside.

At Baden Baden, Cole's Ruby Tiger could finish only fifth under Richard Quinn in the Group Two Grosser Preis der Wirtschaft. Karinga Bay did best of the British raiders in third.

OAKS (Epsom 5 June). Coral: 5-1 Wemyss Bight & Yawl, 6-1 Intrepidity, 7-1 Sueboog, 8-1 Criquette, 10-1 Bashayer, 14-1 Gisarne, 16-1 Iviza & Abury, 25-1 others. Ladbrokes: 4-1 Wemyss Bight, 6-1 Marillette, Criquette & Yawl, 8-1 others. William Hill: 4-1 Yawl, 5- 1 Wemyss Bight, 11-2 Marillette, 7-1 Criquette, 8-1 Sueboog, 10-1 Bashayer, 12-1 Iviza, 16-1 others.