Henry Cecil edged closer to his first Classic success in seven years as Passage Of Time tightened her grip on Vodafone Oaks favouritism with victory in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York.

Although she only got home by a neck in her first race of the season, she was value for more than the winning distance and bookmakers were certainly impressed.

The resurgent Cecil, who already boasts an incredible seven Oaks wins to his name, saw his filly slashed further at the head of the market at 6-4 with Coral.

Cashmans are 2-1, William Hill 9-4 and Ladbrokes, Stan James and Blue Square 5-2, while totesport offer a generous 11-4 about a filly who has now won her last four races.

Owned by Khalid Abdullah, the daughter of Dansili was last seen edging out subsequent Chester Vase winner Soldier Of Fortune in France last November and turned up on the Knavesmire ready for the eagerly-awaited start to her three-year-old career.

Richard Hughes' mount was sent off the 5-6 favourite and after cantering through the early stages of the Group Three race, she appeared on the premises travelling full of running two furlongs out.

She started to idle once hitting the front, but after Sweet Lily threw down a challenge on the stands side she found plenty in reserve and turned on the speed again for a snug victory.

Cecil, winning his eighth Musidora, said: ''She was cantering, then quickened up to win and thought she'd done enough. When the other horse came to try to get her she came back on the bridle at the end.

''She's like that in her work at home. She thinks she's done enough. It's frightening to watch, but I think it was a bit better than it looked.

''She's well balanced and travels very well. You can put her where you like.

''The first time she won at Newmarket she only just got up, the second time she won a Listed race by eight lengths and she won well in France from a bad position.

''I have trained her for the Oaks and hopefully now she's had a race she'll come right. I thought she just needed the race.

''I do think she is a good filly, and hopefully she will prove that at Epsom.''

Connections revealed last Friday that Passage Of Time had been troubled by a small throat abscess, and Cecil added: ''I was always a bit worried about the abscess in her epiglottis because they can be a nuisance. It's not bothering her, but they can rear their ugly head. I'm hoping to make the Oaks then we'll have a look and see if we have to take the abscess out, which would put her out for a month.''

Cecil is now the dominant force in the Oaks market, with his Cheshire Oaks winner, Light Shift, the third favourite at 8-1 with Coral and also on target for Epsom on June 1.

In contrast to Cecil, Hughes is chasing his first domestic Classic victory, and he said: ''That was very nice and I'm very pleased; she will progress from that.

''If you make all she's fine, but when you go by the lead horse she pulls up."