Bilingual primed for perfect mile

BILINGUAL now has the distance in her favour - a mile - and should use her class to make amends in this afternoon's ninth race after losing to speedster LOOSE CANNON when returning off a near-five-month lay-up two weeks ago.

Still in classic-distance mode when reporting off a rest on September 16, BILINGUAL was left flat-footed by LOOSE CANNON at 1100 metres. Her three previous races were middle to long distances, a run which started with the seven-furlong Thornbird Stakes in March, the fillies' Guineas at a mile in April and the 10-furlong Oaks three weeks later.

Though BILINGUAL showed real dash at exercise, galloping 59.2 on the round course a week before the race, LOOSE CANNON's terrifying speed was simply too much for the filly coming off the long break, leaving her well behind in splits of 22.4 for the opening quarter and 45.3 into the lane, where she gradually closed inside the last furlong, finishing two-and-a-half lengths adrift in a final time of 1:05.4.

Anthony Nunes has crowded the 11-horse field with five runners, including BILINGUAL, going up against a trio from Gary Subratie's barn - SARAH LEE, GREATH FAITH and BIBLICAL LEGEND.

IMPROVING IN EVERY RACE

Though Nunes and Subratie have numbers in their corner, Richard Azan's lone runner, CAPTUREMYSHIP, has been improving with every race, winning three of four starts, the last being a five-and-a-quarter length romp at 1500 metres in June, suggesting he should have no problem at a mile.

BILINGUAL, however, should be able to cope with Azan's improving colt. In addition to being seven pounds lighter, she has faced the best of the three-year-olds this year, whereas CAPTUREMYSHIP has dodged those bullets by not competing in any of the classics.

Nunes' BILINGUAL faced the best of the best, finishing two lengths third behind SHE'S A MANEATER and MONEY MAGNET in the Thornbird Stakes, and returned to chase home the eventual Triple Crown winner in the fillies' Guineas - which, by the way, was 1.2 seconds faster than the colts' 2000 Guineas - the same afternoon.

However, the brave filly's stamina limitations, bred Fearless Vision-Electrifying, was exposed at 10 furlongs in the Oaks when she finished distressed, but far from disgraced, 12 lengths behind MARLENE MY LOVE after being five off at the furlong pole.

Far from being short on class, BILINGUAL will certainly enjoy an easier pace, no tearaway LOOSE CANNON to contend with, and should outclass the expected leader, WESTERN WARRIOR, whenever Panamanian jockey Dick Cardenas decides to ask her to run.