Legatissimo faces 10 challengers in Oaks at Epsom

A field of 11 three-year-old fillies is due to go to post for the 2015

renewal of the £450,000 Oaks (Eng-G1), staged over a mile and a half at Epsom

Downs on Friday.

Legatissimo (Danehill Dancer) is the early favorite after landing the first

fillies' classic of the season, the mile One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) at

Newmarket on May 3, and will attempt to become the 48th filly to win both elite

races.

Closely behind Legatissimo in the betting is Crystal Zvezda (Dubawi), who

caught the eye with a stunning reappearance in the Fillies' Trial S. at Newbury

on May 16.

Meon Valley Stud's black and while silks have been a familiar sight on

British racecourses since the 1970s, with many of the best performers from the

Weinfeld family's breeding operation descending from the legendary foundation

broodmare Reporcolor, who herself finished fourth in the 1979 Oaks.

This year the stud, whose horses run in the name of Helena Springfield Ltd.,

is represented by Jazzi Top (Danehill Dancer), who is a daughter of Group 1

winner Zee Zee Top, while her granddam is 1986 Irish Oaks (Ire-G1) heroine and

Epsom Oaks fourth Colorspin. Reprocolor is her great granddam.

Jazzi Top has been successful on two of her four starts. After finishing

third on two outings as a juvenile, she made a winning reappearance at Kempton

Park on April 1, when taking a mile Polytrack maiden, and laid down her Oaks

credentials when landing the 10-furlong Pretty Polly S. at Newmarket on May 3,

defeating Zannda (Azamour) by 1 1/2 lengths.

The two most recent winners of the Oaks -- Talent and Taghrooda -- both won

the Newmarket contest before going on to classic glory at Epsom.

Besides Legatissimo, there are four more Irish-trained contenders. Jack

Naylor (Champs Elysses) placed at Group 1 level in 2014, and made a pleasing

seasonal reappearance when finishing strongly to take fourth in the Irish One

Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) at the Curragh last month.

Aidan O'Brien, seeking a fifth Oaks, has three declared runners. The

Ballydoyle trio are impressive Cheshire Oaks winner Diamondsandrubies (Fastnet

Rock), last year's Fillies' Mile (Eng-G1) heroine Together Forever (Galileo) and

Qualify (Fastnet Rock), a Group 3 winner last year but down the field in both

the One Thousand Guineas and Irish One Thousand Guineas this season.

There is also a French-trained runner in Al Naamah (Galileo). A full sister

to the 2012 Oaks heroine Was, the Al Shaqab Racing-owned filly cost a record 5

million guineas as a yearling. She was narrowly defeated on her seasonal

reappearance, when going down by a short-neck in the Prix Cleopatre (Fr-G3) at

Saint-Cloud on May 13 and gained experience on the Epsom when working on the

morning of "Breakfast With the Stars."

Star of Seville (Duke of Marmalade), who worked with Jazzi Top at "Breakfast

With the Stars," and Lady of Dubai (Dubawi) have both won recognized trials for

the Oaks, with the former taking the Musidora S. (Eng-G3) at York and the latter

successful in Goodwood's Height of Fashion S.

Completing the line-up is Bellajeu (Montjeu). Attempting to become the first

maiden to capture the Oaks since Sun Princess 32 years ago, she finished second

last time out in the Lingfield Oaks Trial.

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