Hot favourite Minding headlines 24 acceptors for the Investec Oaks at Epsom on June 3rd.
The daughter of Galileo is odds-on for the fillies’ Classic following her impressive victory in the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and the withdrawal of Musidora Stakes winner So Mi Dar through injury.
Should she be successful then the Aidan O’Brien-trained Minding would be the first filly since Kazzia in 2002 to complete the 1000 Guineas/Oaks double.
O’Brien still has 10 left in contention, including Ballydoyle, who was runner-up to Minding at Newmarket, and Cheshire Oaks scorer Somehow.
Jim Bolger is responsible for the two other Irish-trained acceptors in Turret Rocks and Siamsaiocht.
Ralph Beckett, with two Oaks winners already to his name in Look Here (2008) and Talent (2013), has two possibles in Diamonds Pour Moi, who was runner-up in the Cheshire Oaks, and Mountain Bell, third in the Lingfield Oaks Trial.
“We’ve left Diamonds Pour Moi in, but I’d want the ground to be soft,” Beckett told At The Races.
“She might take her chance anyway but for us to think she has a chance, the ground would have to be slow. She’s a tough filly and she’ll stay and she’ll handle the track, so it might be worth rolling the dice.
“I wasn’t as happy with Mountain Bell going into Lingfield as I had been going to Windsor when she won her maiden.
“We felt we had to run as the ground was right and it looked the right spot for her.
“She’ll work next week and we’ll see how we feel.”
Other interesting acceptors include Group Three Musidora Stakes runner-up Fireglow from Mark Johnston’s stable, Luca Cumani’s Beautiful Morning and the Hugo Palmer-trained Architecture.
