We are set for a wide open Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday 31st March with a whole host of fillies likely to line up with a notable chance in the Group 1 Classic. Our in-house tipster Steve Chambers takes a look at the latest betting and picks out his two ante-post selections for the race.
Forest Fairy – 2pt win (10/1 with bet365, BetMGM, Coral, BetUK)
While it’s hard to not be impressed by the way Ylang Ylang finished in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket earlier in the season, the Aidan O’Brien-trained raider is awfully short and she could prove vulnerable and the one to beat is Ralph Beckett’s Forest Fairy, who is around a 10/1 chance, at the time of writing.
She made it into my Flat Horses To Follow at the start of the season having impressed on debut back in February when winning at Wolverhampton over six lengths. But, what was more impressive was the way she got down and battled when winning the Cheshire Oaks at Chester’s May Meeting.
Ridden from a long way out that day, she continued to find under a power-packed Rossa Ryan ride and she managed to get the better of the aforementioned O’Brien’s Port Fairy. The daughter of Waldgeist has shown that stamina is certainly one of her strong suits and she could be one that relishes the test an Oaks has to offer.
Should she find herself a bit tapped for toe coming round Tattenham Corner she has shown that she will battle all the way to the line and it’s in those final couple of furlongs that could see her blossom. She is likely to be one of the least experienced runners in the line-up, but she’s open to more improvement as the campaign goes on and she could well down the Ballydoyle battalion and claim victory.
Epsom Oaks Trends – Who are the Most Fitting Fillies for Classic Glory?
The highest accolade for the fillies’ in their own sphere as 3yo’s is the title of the Epsom Oaks. Dave Young has analysed all of the key trends, with three names sticking out in the race. Little sister to the Derby but we’ve had some iconic winners in recent renewals and it’s a race that…
Mon 20 May 2024Classical Song – 1pt each-way (33/1 with bet365)
A dual winner of the Oaks, Ralph Beckett tasted victory with Look Here in 2008 and Talent in 2013, so he knows what it takes to land the fillies’ Classic. Whilst Forest Fairy is the likely flagbearer for the yard, he could have a strong team heading to Epsom Downs and 33/1 outsider Classical Song could be a lively challenger at big odds.
The daughter of Lope De Vega has only won one of her four racecourse outings, but she has shown huge promise. Fourth in the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket last season, she made her return in the Musidora Stakes at York, where she finished third to Secret Satire. The form of that race is certainly questionable, but she was staying on all the time in the closing stages of that 1m 2f event, so a step up to the Oaks trip of 1m 4f should be a huge positive.
She will undoubtedly have to improve immeasurably for that run, but she is one that could come on leaps and bounds for the step up in distance and could be one that sneaks in the frame at big odds.
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