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Nine go to post, five English and four Irish fillies will battle it out for the second fillies’ classic of the season, the Oaks at Epsom.

The Irish

The market is led by Amelia Earhart, one of three trained by Aidan O’Brien, the choice of Ryan Moore. As a juvenile, she was beaten in her first four runs before coming good on the fifth occasion when winning a Maiden by 7L in October at Leopardstown. On return to the racecourse this year, she came to prominence for this with an impressive display in the Cheshire Oaks last month, winning easily by 2L. It’s the same route that last year’s winner, Minnie Hawk, took to victory.

She’s accompanied by stablemates, Sugar Island, the mount of Ronan Whelan, who set the pace at Chester, finishing fifth. A good filly in her own right, she finished last year with a G3 win at the Curragh, beating Thundering On, second, and Cameo, fourth, who’ll be piloted by Wayne Lordan here.

Cameo, on her return this spring, was the winner of the Lingfield Oaks Trial on good to firm, also putting in an authoritative performance.

Joseph O’Brien’s Thundering On will be partnered by Dylan Browne McGonagle. Last year, she was beaten by Cameo first time out in a Maiden, finishing fourth, then built on that with her second to Sugar Island. This year, a short head separated her from Skydance, a good filly, in a Maiden at Leopardstown before winning a G3 Trial, the Salsabil Stakes at Navan in good style.

The English

John and Thady Gosden’s Legacy Link heads the home team. Colin Keane will ride the Juddmonte filly. Three runs last year, all on good ground, beaten first time out in a Maiden, finishing third, a winner of a Novice Stakes, then fourth in a hot G1 Fillies’ Mile to Precise, Venetian Lace, and Evolunist. The form franked with Precise’s Irish Guineas win, and Evolunist’s second and Venetian Lace’s third to True Love in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Ralph Beckett, like Aidan O’Brien, is triple-handed here. His team is led by the Wathnan-owned A La Prochaine, who’ll be ridden by James Doyle. The least experienced in the field, she just had the one run in her juvenile career, a winning one at Newbury, beating stablemate Gone By 1½L. She put a good shine on that form when bolting up, winning a Ripon Maiden by 12L this year. A La Prochaine followed Amelia Earhart home, finishing third, beaten 3¼L, in the Cheshire Oaks when running green.

K Sarra also represents Ralph Beckett; she will be ridden by Rossa Ryan. A winner on her sole start last year at Southwell over 1m, she found the drop to 7f against her in the Fred Darling Stakes before finishing third to Legacy Link in the Musidora, beaten 2¼L.

On Message makes up the Ralph Beckett trio under Hector Couch. A winner of a Wolverhampton Maiden last year, she has the benefit of track experience, having won a Handicap here in April. She was only beaten 1L in the Fashion Stakes at Goodwood last time out.

Charlie Johnston’s Venetian Lace, the mount of William Buick, steps up from her excellent Guineas run, often the best trial for this, to tackle this longer trip.

Conclusion

This is open, the favourite, Amelia Earhart, has looked good in her last two runs and has a strong staying pedigree by Camelot; however, she is also vulnerable, having lost on her first four outings.

All of the fillies show the ability to stay; the ground is forecast to have some soft in the description. The Irish contingent have all run on yielding ground; Cameo may prefer a faster surface. Of the English, only A La Prochaine has form on the ground.

Advantage Ireland.

The best form is Venetian Lace, the Guineas.

Advantage England.

The improvers are Amelia Earhart, Thundering On, and Legacy Link.

Venetian Lace has the form in the book; however, her capacity on the ground is yet to be tested. This also applies to Legacy Link. Inexperience may deny A La Prochaine.

Sugar Island will set the pace for stablemates Cameo and Amelia Earhart; the latter may well step forward again; however, she’ll wear headgear as she did at Chester, which is a slight concern in the cauldron that is Epsom.

The call, therefore, goes to Joseph O’Brien’s filly, Thundering On, who was impressive at Navan. She can see off the English and Ballydoyle threat.

Recommendation

Thundering On 11/2 win

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