Fourteen confirmed for Oaks at
Epsom
Legatissimo (Danehill Dancer) headlines 14 six-day confirmations for the Oaks
(Eng-G1) at Epsom Downs on June 5. The David Wachman-trained filly is the 3-1
favorite with Coral to follow up her victory in the mile One Thousand Guineas
(Eng-G1) at Newmarket on May 3.
“She worked this morning and went well,” Wachman said Saturday. “The Oaks is
the plan at the moment, and we’re taking it day-by-day. She’s a big filly and
will only get stronger.”
There are seven Irish-trained acceptors for the classic, worth £450,000, and
Aidan O’Brien’s contingent is headed by close Irish One Thousand Guineas
(Ire-G1) runner-up Found (Galileo) and last season’s Fillies’ Mile winner
(Eng-G1) Together Forever (Galileo). O’Brien has also confirmed impressive
Cheshire Oaks scorer Diamondsandrubies (Fastnet Rock), Lingfield Oaks Trial
third Wedding Vow (Galileo) and Qualify (Fastnet Rock) as he bids for a fifth
Oaks victory.
Jessica Harrington is planning to run Jack Naylor (Champs Elysses), who put
up an eye-catching performance when fourth on her comeback in the Irish One
Thousand Guineas on May 24.
Newmarket trainer John Gosden landed the spoils with Taghrooda 12 months ago
and looks to have good chances again, courtesy of progressive trial winners
Jazzi Top (Danehill Dancer) and Star of Seville (Duke of Marmalade).
Jazzi Top captured the Pretty Polly S. in early May at Newmarket, the race
which has produced the last two Oaks winners, while Star Of Seville got the
better of Together Forever in the Musidora S. (Eng-G3) at York on May 13.
Crystal Zvezda (Dubawi) laid down her marker for classic glory when taking a
Listed event impressively by 3 1/2 lengths earlier this month at Newbury, while
Lady of Dubai (Dubawi) captured the Height of Fashion S. in similar fashion at
Goodwood on May 21.
With Ryan Moore committed to Legatissimo for the Oaks, the mount on Crystal
Zvezda is vacant, and jockey Richard Hughes is hoping it is his after partnering
the Sir Michael Stoute-trained filly in a work Saturday.
“If I receive the call I am ready to ride her,” the champion rider said. “She
gave me a lovely feeling (Saturday) and really moved well. She was very
impressive at Newbury, but she may not be quite as streetwise as some of the
others as she has not really been seen in a battle, so that is a bit of an
unknown. It would be great to pick up a ride like this in the Oaks, which has
been a lucky race for me.”
Ralph Beckett sent out Look Here (2008) and Talent (2014) to win the Oaks and
is set to be represented by Bellajeu (Montjeu) this time around. She was beaten
a head in a Newbury maiden on her first outing for Beckett in October after
being trained by Olly Stevens for her first two starts. She finished second on
her reappearance in the Oaks Trial at Lingfield on May 9.
“Bellajeu has been training well since Lingfield and I am happy with her
condition and how she is looking,” Beckett said. “I wouldn’t say we are tilting
at windmills but she is still a maiden and we are coming off only a placed
effort in the Lingfield trial. Having said that, I think she is still coming
forward and it’s worth a shot.”
There is one remaining entry from France, Al Naamah (Galileo), who was sold
for a record five million guineas as a yearling. Owned by Al Shaqab Racing,
she’s a full-sister to 2012 Oaks scorer Was and went down narrowly on her
seasonal reappearance when the short-neck runner-up in the Prix Cleopatre
(Fr-G3) at Saint-Cloud on May 13.
Like Jazzi Top and Star of Seville, Al Naamah worked at Epsom Downs during
the “Breakfast With The Stars” on Tuesday morning, gaining experience around the
undulating course for herself and jockey Gregory Benoist, who was also having
his first experience of the Surrey track.
The confirmations are completed by the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Local Time
(Invincible Time), who has already enjoyed a pair of classic wins for Godolphin
on dirt in Dubai this year — the UAE One Thousand Guineas and UAE Oaks
(UAE-G3).
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