G1 Betfred Oaks

Saturday, Epsom Downs, post time: 15:30, BETFRED DERBY-G1, £1,604,000, 3yo, c/f, 12f 6yT Field: Al Wasl Storm (Ire) (Affinisea {Ire}), Damysus (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Green Storm (Ire) (Circus Maximus {Ire}), Lambourn (Ire) (Australia {GB}), Lazy Griff (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}), Midak (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), New Ground (GB) (New Bay {GB}), Nightime Dancer (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Nightwalker (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Pride Of Arras (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), Rogue Impact (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), Ruling Court (Justify), Sea Scout (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Stanhope Gardens (Ire) (Ghaiyyath...

After the draw had been made for Saturday's G1 Betfred Derby in Epsom's Picture House on Wednesday, Team Godolphin were relieved that one box had been ticked regarding their G1 2,000 Guineas hero Ruling Court. Set to exit from a favourable stall in seven, the son of Justify now has only to navigate the race's notorious twists and turns and bottlenecks and stay the mile and a half. "We have always felt that the 2,000 Guineas is one of the best trials for the Derby and Ruling Court has trained...

A total of 25 colts remain in the June 7 £1.5-million G1 Betfred Derby (In Honour of His Highness Aga Khan IV) at the latest scratching stage. Part of a seven-strong Irish-trained contingent is The Lion In Winter (Sea The Stars), who is still the narrow 5-2 favourite, for Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners, despite running sixth in the G2 Dante Stakes behind 4-1 chance Pride Of Arras (New Bay), who is trained by Ralph Beckett. Other colts carrying the Coolmore partners' colours include G3 Leopardstown's G3 Derby Trial...

Bobby Flay's Go Go Boots (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), a June 6 G1 Betfred Oaks entry, justified long odds-on favouritism for John and Thady Gosden with a three-length triumph in Monday's Download The Raceday Ready App Fillies' Novice Stakes over 10 furlongs at Lingfield. Last year's €230,000 Arqana Breeze-Up graduate had previously won at the track having annexed her debut over one mile in December.   Go Go Boots remains unbeaten with a straightforward success at @LingfieldPark! This Epsom Oaks-entrant looks a filly to follow for John and Thady...

Continuing a banner year for The Aga Khan, Ezeliya (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}--Eziyra {Ire}, by Teofilo {Ire}) led home a one-two for her sire in Friday's G1 Betfred Oaks and provided her owner-breeder with a first success in the Epsom Classic in the process. Booking her ticket with a win in the 10-furlong G3 Salsabil S. at Navan last month, the Dermot Weld-trained relative of the G1 Gold Cup-winning half-siblings Enzeli (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) and Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) was always travelling with menace held up by Chris Hayes. Admirably straightforward...

Twelve fillies will line up in Friday's G1 Betfred Oaks at Epsom, with Aidan O'Brien set to be represented by a duo headed by the likely favourite and TDN Rising Star Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) drawn on the outside in 12. Ryan Moore sticks with last year's G1 Fillies' Mile winner, with Wayne Lordan on the stable's Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial runner-up Rubies Are Red (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who has drawn six. Their compatriot Ezeliya (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), The Aga Khan homebred from the Dermot Weld stable who captured the...

The Coolmore partners' Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is one of five Ballydoyle fillies remaining in the G1 Betfred Oaks on May 31 after the latest entry stage. The Group 1 winner of the Fillies' Mile last October, the bay was fifth in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas for Aidan O'Brien. She could be joined by the stakes-placed Rubies Are Red (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), as well as Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas runners Opera Singer (Justify), who won the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, the dual group-placed Buttons (Ire) (Kingman...

The online sale of 126 racing items from jockey Frankie Dettori's private collection--offered by Cheffins in Cambridge from July 5 through July 18--was highlighted by a trophy from his victory aboard Soul Sister in last month's Betfred Oaks. Likely his final career Classic victory, the signed trophy brought £5,000 from an undisclosed U.K. buyer. Also sold were a pair of signed boots from a race in Saudi Arabia for £2,800, a signed racing saddle used by Dettori at Epsom for £1,400 and a set of the royal blue Godolphin silks...

John and Thady Gosden had the misfortune of losing Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion) from the start of Friday's G1 Betfred Oaks as David Howden's charge backed out of the stalls and got loose, but the Clarehaven duo ultimately came up trumps as Lady Bamford's G3 Musidora S. winner Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) triumphed in style. Reserved in rear early by a Frankie Dettori in rare form even by his exalted standards, the 11-4 second favourite swooped on the 5-6 favourite Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and 40-1 shot Caernarfon...

It still seems hard to imagine, given how long he has been omnipresent in British racing, but Friday's G1 Betfred Oaks will mark the penultimate Epsom Classic experience in the saddle for Frankie Dettori. It may also prove his best chance of going out in a blaze of glory, as Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) looks the more likely of his Friday and Saturday mounts to conjure that soon-to-be-missed flying dismount. Carrying the "Sariska" silks of Lady Bamford, the homebred left no one in any doubt that she is a...

Eleven fillies will line up for Friday's G1 Betfred Oaks as Aidan O'Brien trimmed his numbers to three for the Epsom Classic including the certain favourite Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Other than the trio taken out by the Ballydoyle handler which include the Listed Haras De Bouquetot Fillies' Trial S. scorer Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the other notable withdrawal was Dance In The Grass (GB) (Cracksman {GB}) from the Charlie Johnston stable. Heading the opposition to the Listed Cheshire Oaks winner Savethelastdance, who as expected will have the assistance...

Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who won the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial earlier this month for Godolphin, has been supplemented at a cost of £30,000 to Friday's G1 Betfred Oaks. Trained by Charlie Appleby, she gave a good account of herself in her Saturday morning work, and her addition brings the Oaks nominees up to 15. Third at Wolverhampton in her debut in February, she won a 10-furlong Chelmsford maiden later that month. At Lingfield, she defeated another potential Oaks starter in the Group 3-placed Be Happy (Ire) (Camelot {GB}),...