Estrange Camp Hoping For Rain, As She Faces O'Brien Quartet In Yorkshire Oaks

One of two British-trained horses in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks after declarations on Friday, Estrange (Night Of Thunder) and her team are hopeful that some rain will increase her chances in the August 21 showpiece.

A homebred for Cheveley Park Stud and trained by David O'Meara, the grey has won four of her five starts, with a victory in the G2 Lancashire Oaks last out at Haydock in July on her resume.

“It depends which forecast you look at, and I am probably guilty of looking at the one I want to look at rather than the one I don't,” said Cheveley Park's managing director Chris Richardson on the chance of rain at York.

“But she's very well, a bit of ease in the ground would be helpful. She's working well but this just happens to be a year of fast ground. We're working back from the autumn so we will see how we go and how we plan from here on out.

“If she can't run then there are some entries abroad we can look at, she's in the [G1] Fillies & Mares [on Champions Day at Ascot] and obviously the Arc later in the year.”

Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners have kept a fearsome quartet in the race in G1 Oaks one-two Minnie Hauk (Frankel) and Whirl (Wootton Bassett), as well as multiple group winner and G1 Prix de Diane second Bedtime Story (Frankel) and G2 Ribblesdale Stakes heroine Garden Of Eden (Saxon Warrior). Fellow Group 2 winner Qilin Queen (Pinatubo), trained by Ed Walker, will also take part at this stage.

In the G2 Sky Bet Lowther Stakes earlier on the card, a dozen fillies have signed up, among them is G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes second Royal Fixation (Palace Pier) for Ed Walker and the Group 3-placed duo of Staya (Havana Grey) from George Scott and Tim Easterby's Argentine Tango (Mattmu). Debut winner America Queen (Havana Grey) is another of note for Richard Hughes.