KEVIN HUTTON again has the BGBF British Bred Oaks at Oxford at his mercy after dominating the semi-finals of the bitches-only annual on Saturday.

A year on from qualifying all six runners for the 450m decider – in-season Ivys Showgirl ended up missing the final, won by the kennel’s Coppice Ella – Hutton is back again with another five finalists at the weekend from the local kennel along with one from Swindon trainer Dalton Smith’s range.

Hutton won both semi-finals on Saturday with Signet Nayla comfortably quickest in the first semi as the April 2023 daughter of Signet Denver and Not Too Late raced away early for a four and a quarter lengths win over kennelmates Coppice Lottie and Miss Kubelik, the last-named pair half-sisters of the winner and themselves November 21 littermates.

The pair are by Hutton’s Derby champion Dorotas Wildcat out of Not Too Late.

The winning time for Signet Nayla was 26.63sec (-20).

The same kennel landed the second semi-final courtesy of Dreamin Francis who produced a strong-running effort to head her field into the third bend before coming away for a one and three-quarter length victory over Ivys Showgirl (Dalton Smith) and Union Piper, a kennelmate of the 27.29sec (-10) scorer.

The winner is an August 2022 daughter of Droopys Sydney and Witton Derecho.

Paul Johnson, Oxford’s joint-racing manager, said: “Hats off to Kevin and his team – it’s been another dominant performance by his runners.

“I remember his Singalong Stacey finishing third two years ago to Fabulous Azurra, who was winning for the second time having won it at Henlow the previous year.

“It’s long odds-on Kevin will also be notching a British Bred Oaks double with one of his after Coppice Ella last year. You’d say Nayla is a very worthy favourite given the time she’s clocked at the weekend.

“Just to say to trainers and owners that entries for the supporting card close at noon Wednesday (August 13) and we’ve got races over 253m, 450m, 650m and 847m with maidens over four and six bends also.”

Saturday’s BGBF British Bred Oaks offers a first prize of £3,000 and is a Category Two event.