Saxon Warrior’s Piccola Piuma Impresses in Oaks d’Italia Romp

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For the sixth time since 2012, Stefano Botti celebrated victory in Sunday's G2 Premio Oaks d'Italia Tattersalls as Piccola Piuma (Saxon Warrior) powered clear in the Milan sunshine to run out an impressive winner in the hands of Fabio Branca.Beaten just twice in six previous starts for the Botti stable, Piccola Piuma faced 14 rivals in this first black-type assignment, including the Charlie Johnston-trained favourite Jennifer Jane (New Bay), who led the field through the early stages in a repeat of the tactics which carried her to a wide-margin win in last month's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket.Piccola Piuma raced in the slipstream of Jennifer Jane for much of the 2,100-metre contest, with stablemate Pomeranica (Saxon Warrior) briefly boxing in the eventual winner when she moved up to challenge early in the straight. Any anxious moments for backers of Piccola Piuma were shortlived, however, as she soon kicked into a different gear when switched off heels with two furlongs to run. At the line the daughter of Saxon Warrior was fully 3 1/4 lengths clear of her closest pursuer, with German raider Lady Evi (Masar) leading home a clean sweep of the next four places for overseas runners in second.Lizzana (Saxon Warrior), runner-up in last month's G3 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1,000 Guineas), hit the frame in a second Classic for Marco Botti, finishing half-a-length further back in third, ahead of Francis-Henri Graffard's Lady Mara (New Bay) and Andrew Balding's Prizeland (Territories) in fourth and fifth, respectively. Jennifer Jane tired in the closing stages to trail home ninth of the 15 runners.The post Saxon Warrior’s Piccola Piuma Impresses in Oaks d’Italia Romp appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.