the shorter classic. On her three-year-old debut, Petrushka confirmed this impression in her first Group race, the Nell Gwyn Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket. She was sent off the 7/2 favourite, despite the presence in the field of the Cheveley Park Stakes winner Seazun. Held up in the early stages by Kieren Fallon, Petrushka moved up to take the lead a furlong out and pulled clear to beat Seazun by four lengths. Fallon praised the filly saying that "she travels and she's got a serious turn of foot. You couldn't fault her in any way." Her odds for the Guineas and the Oaks were cut to 2/1 and 5/1 respectively. Tony Morris, writing in the Racing Post, offered the opinion that "a star was born" in the Nell Gwyn. Less than three weeks later Petrushka was made 6/4 favourite against seventeen opponents in the 1000 Guineas. Petrushka was held up by Fallon, but was bumped when trying to make a forward move and was then unable to find space for a clear run. She finished strongly, but was unable to reach the leaders, finishing third, more than four lengths behind Lahan. Summer Petrushka was then moved up in distance for the Oaks over one and a half miles at Epsom for which she was made 9/2 third favourite. Her second attempt at classic success ended in failure, however, as she finished a well-beaten fourth behind Love Divine, Kalypso Katie and Melikah. From this point on, Petrushka showed rapid improvement. In July she was sent to The Curragh for the Irish Oaks, where she was ridden for the first time by Johnny Murtagh, Fallon having suffered a serious shoulder injury at Royal Ascot. After tracking the leaders in the early stages, Petrushka took the lead in the straight and pulled well clear to win by five and a half lengths despite being eased down in the closing stages. She decisively reversed the Epsom for with Melikah, who finished second, and Kalypso Katie who was a further four and a half lengths back in fifth. The Independent described it as "a slaughter", while Stoute contrasted the performance with her previous two runs by insisting that "this is the real Petrushka." The Yorkshire Oaks at York in August saw Petrushka matched against Love Divine for a second time, with the 1999 Champion Filly Ramruma also in the field. The meeting of the