Betfred Oaks |
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Epsom Downs 16:00 £625,000 guaranteed 3yo fillies only, 1m 4f 6y, Class 1  |
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Aidan O’Brien appears to hold a powerful hand in this year’s Betfred Oaks after five of the 12 remaining contenders at the confirmation stage were left in the mile-and-a-half Classic at Epsom.
Heading the Ballydoyle challenge are Precise and Amelia Earhart, two fillies whose recent performances have propelled them to the forefront of Oaks calculations.
Ryan Moore picked the wrong one 😳
— Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) May 24, 2026
Precise wins the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
True Love hit 1.15 in-running 🤢 pic.twitter.com/ESuxylDjZf
Precise arrives on the back of a decisive victory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, where she emphatically reversed Newmarket form with stablemate True Love to advertise both her class and the possibility of further improvement over longer distances.
A stumble from I'm The One at the start in the Cheshire Oaks, but all class from Amelia Earhart - the new Oaks favourite for Epsom... 👀 pic.twitter.com/WGzA2snGGn
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 6, 2026
Amelia Earhart enhanced her own credentials when producing a polished display to land the Cheshire Oaks at Chester, handling both the track and the trip with assurance and emerging as one of the leading contenders for Epsom honours.
O’Brien’s formidable squad is further strengthened by Cameo, who impressed in the Lingfield Oaks Trial, alongside Beautify and Sugar Island, giving the Ballydoyle operation enviable depth as it seeks yet another success in the fillies’ Classic.
The principal home challenge appears set to come from Legacy Link, whose victory in the Musidora Stakes at York earned her place among the leading contenders.
The daughter of Dubawi ended her juvenile season by finishing fourth behind Precise in the Fillies’ Mile and has returned this spring looking every inch a filly capable of taking her place in the top rank.
John Gosden is relishing what promises to be a fascinating renewal.
“They’re a good bunch of fillies and it looks like it’s an exciting Oaks, let alone an exciting Derby,” he said.
“You’ve got depth in the field in both, which is what it’s all about.
“I think there’s some other very nice fillies in there. The thing is, it’s the beginning of June. Three-year-olds going a mile and a half the first time. The puzzle unlocks in front of you. But before the race, it’s hard to be dogmatic, that’s for sure.
“A lot of these fillies haven’t truly come into bloom yet. You go and look at your gardens, same story.”
Ralph Beckett is responsible for a trio of contenders headed by A La Prochaine, who finished third behind Amelia Earhart in the Cheshire Oaks. She is joined by the progressive K Sarra and On Message, ensuring the Kimpton Down handler is strongly represented.
Andrew Balding relies on Prizeland, while Charlie Johnston’s Venetian Lace, third in the Newmarket Guineas, offers an intriguing blend of proven class and untapped stamina.
Completing the line-up is Joseph O’Brien’s Thundering On, who seeks to add further Irish interest to a race already dominated by the formidable Ballydoyle contingent.
With Classic-winning fillies, impressive trial performers and several unexposed contenders all converging on Epsom, the Oaks is shaping into a compelling examination of class, stamina and potential.
Betfred Oaks
£625,000 guaranteed,
3yo only, 1m 4f 6y, Class 1
12 remaining entries
Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
