The Epsom Oaks is the third British Classic of the season and the second for fillies. With the market now taking shape for the contest, Matty Sutcliffe has his value eye trained on the ante-post offerings, with two selections for you to follow from this stage.
Wemightakedlongway 16/1 1pt EW 3 places
The 2025 Epsom Oaks looks a tricky contest to navigate at this stage, and it largely hangs on the balance of whether the unbeaten 1000 Guineas winner Desert Flower can stay the extra four furlongs, which is no guarantee on pedigree. Aidan O’Brien’s classic trial winners in Minnie Hawk and Whirl won their races well, but the strength of the form in both of those contests is questionable.
With that in mind, glancing further down the market I thought Australia filly WEMIGHTTAKEDLONGWAY looks a touch overpriced, provided she’s drawn well to be prominent early on. She was an eyecatcher on two year old debut last September when staying on from rear to be beaten a length, and she backed up that initial promise next time out when making all to comfortably dispatch of Minnie Hawk in impressive fashion, who’s evidently franked that form since to be the 5/1 second favourite in here.
She lost little in defeat when stepping up to G3, just reeled in late on and the second has since franked the form as a three year old. Though Wemightakedlongway was beaten five lengths by Delacroix in the Ballysax, she shaped as if needing the run and the form has worked out seriously well. The winner has gone in again in a G3 at Leopardstown, the second has won the G3 Chester Vase, the third was fourth in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom, and the fourth has won the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial since.
O’Brien’s filly evidently came on for the effort when again making all to win by two lengths next time out to defeat the well regarded Catalina Delcarpio, posting a 4lbs higher RPR than when Ezeliya won the race last season before going on to win the Oaks.
Her overall form should have her closer to the head of the market, and if drawn low I’d envisage she’ll easily go off single figures given her seeming preference to make all.
Revoir 14/1 1pt EW 3 places
Ralph Beckett has won the Oaks twice (2008 and 2013) and it’s rather telling that REVOIR is his sole entry at this stage for a trainer blessed with the ability to train fillies to a high class level.
The daughter of Study Of Man is a half sister to connections’ Fred Darling winner and dual G1 second Remarquee, with the pair from the family of their 2008 Oaks winner Look Here so it would be some feat should Revoir take this which isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
She’s entirely unexposed after two starts (as was Look Here), having been impressive on debut at Nottingham on heavy ground last term, travelling well in midfield to come through to the front with ease and winning a shade cosily in the end despite running a bit green in front.
She was then just beaten a short head by Qilin Queen at Newbury in a listed contest when again running green once in the clear, but she’d have won with another couple of strides and the winner had the benefit of a run (third to Falakeyah in the Pretty Polly).
I’d be confident that she can reverse the form with Qilin Queen and she looks a certainty to get the trip. She’s proven to handle any ground conditions already, and with any natural improvement from last time out then she should be challenging at the finish in what looks something of an average renewal.