AS with the colts, there was nothing really on show in last week’s Oaks trials to compete with the incumbent favourite for Epsom, Lah Ti Dar. That said, all of Magic Wand (Cheshire Oaks), Perfect Clarity (Lingfield Oaks Trial) and Bye Bye Baby (Blue Wind Stakes) turned in useful efforts on the clock.

Magic Wand’s race looks weakest, worth a 100 timefigure on the winner, though both she and runner-up Forever Together finished quickly enough to suggest that a few more lengths should be forthcoming.

Perfect Clarity’s win came in a time only 0.13s slower than recorded by Knight To Behold in the following race and translates into a 105 timefigure after a small allowance for a seeming deterioration in conditions through the card.

Backers of Flattering (101 timefigure) will have been disappointed, but, in a field in which most had room for improvement, this was probably a slight step up on what she had done at Cork.

Best of all, in my book at least, was Bye Bye Baby’s Curragh win, which came in the quickest time of three 10 furlongs races and is worth a timefigure of 110.

On this occasion, it was the turn of supporters of even-money Jaega to be disappointed, but her 105 timefigure in second was an improvement on what she had done when winning in excellent style at Leopardstown on her only previous appearance.

There have been some particularly good Oaks winners in recent years, but 110 would have been good enough to get third more often than not in a race which does not always have a great strength in depth.

Bye Bye Baby’s dam, Remember When, ran to around that level when third (promoted to second) to Snow Fairy at Epsom in 2010.

Who’s Steph has 12-furlong stamina on her dam’s side, but, as a daughter of Zoffany, seems likely to be sticking to around a mile following another win at that trip on Sunday at Leopardstown in the Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial.

Her time was the fastest winning one of three at the trip on the card and translates into a timefigure of 105 (Ship Of Dreams 103 and Alghabrah 101).

Who’s Steph will need to improve further to win above this Group 3 grade, but she seems to have the right kind of attitude.