The Epsom Oaks is a Classic Race For Three-Year-Old Fillies
Located at the Epsom Downs, the Epsom Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race held annually in late May or early June. It is open to three-year-old fillies and is one of the oldest Classic races in the UK.
Emily Upjohn
Having shown that she is the right filly to take on the big boys, Gosdens' Emily Upjohn has emerged as the leading favourite for the Epsom Oaks. She was a good bet for the race when she won the Musidora Stakes earlier this month at York. She sprinted away to win by five and a half lengths.
Emily Upjohn has won each of her three starts and will go into the Oaks as a serious contender for the win. She is a good-looking filly with a good topline and will be ridden by Frankie Dettori.
Emily Upjohn is out of Sea The Stars, whose sire Harzand won the Derby last year. She is also a half-sister to Hidden Brief, who is a useful winner over a mile and a quarter. Hers was the only filly that finished ahead of her in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes. She has also been shown to be a good turn of foot.
Emily Upjohn is trained by John Gosden and Thady Gosden. She has won two races since her debut, including the Sandown Nordoff Robbins Charlie Watts Memorial Fillies Novice Stakes in April. She has also been ridden by Frankie Dettori.
John Gosden has a good record of preparing Oaks winners. He won the Oaks with Taghrooda in 2014. He also has Enable and Anapurna in the books. Despite having only a couple of wins under his belt this season, he has already secured the training licence for another filly, Nashwa. The stablemate of Emily Upjohn, Nashwa, has been steadily improving since winning a Listed event at Newbury last month. She has also won at Haydock and Newbury in the past few months.
Investec Derby
Traditionally known as the Epsom Derby, the Investec Derby is a classic three-year-old race held at Epsom Downs on the first Saturday in June. The Investec Derby is held over a mile and a half and is the second leg of the English Triple Crown. It is a unique test of thoroughbreds and requires a combination of stamina and speed. The Derby is the richest race in Britain and one of the world's most prestigious races.
A field of seventeen horses will vie for the Investec Derby at Epsom Downs on Saturday. The first draw has been made and the ante-post betting is underway. The field is headed by the nine-year-old English King, who won the Derby Trial at Lingfield. Frankie Dettori will be riding the gelding, who is 9/4 favourite for the PS500,000 G1 race.
Aidan O'Brien will have five runners in the Investec Derby at Epsom. The team includes the eight-year-old Mogul, who won the G1 Futurity Trophy at Newmarket, the four-year-old Russian Emperor and the three-year-old Vatican City.
The Derby will be run on the same day as the Investec Oaks. It is the first time in history that these two classic races will take place on the same day. The Derby is the second leg of the English Triple Crown and takes place in the early hours of Saturday.
The Derby and Oaks are part of the Investec Derby Festival, which takes place at Epsom Downs racecourse. The Derby is one of five Classic races held in Britain, and the Investec Oaks is the only race confined to fillies.
The Derby is one of the most coveted races in Britain, and it has been won by a number of famous trainers. Nijinsky won the 1970 Derby and Lester Piggott won nine races between 1954 and 1983.
G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby
Those who love Irish Flat racing have three days to look forward to this weekend. The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby will be run at the Curragh on Saturday. It is a race which has a reputation as a premier race. It is one of Ireland's biggest social events and attracts the world's best horse racers.
The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby is a Grade 1 race and is run on Saturday at the Curragh. It is a 1 mile and 4 furlong race. The field is made up of 16 horses. This year's field includes two British-trained challengers.
The winner of the Cazoo Oaks, Tuesday, is Aidan O'Brien's only entry in the Irish Derby. She will be ridden by Ryan Moore. Her success in the Cazoo Oaks was a huge boost to Aidan O'Brien's confidence.
Tuesday was ridden by Ryan Moore and beat Emily Upjohn by a short head in the Cazoo Oaks (G1) at Epsom in June. The result coincided with her third birthday. The two runners were a couple of lengths clear of the rest of the field in the last three furlongs.
Westover is the third horse to run in the Epsom Derby and is trained by Ralph Beckett. He was ridden by Colin Keane. Westover is a three-year-old son of Frankel (GB) who is out of a Lear Fan mare named Mirabilis. He also has an Irish 1000 Guineas win on his record.
He won the bet365 Classic Trial (G3) at Sandown in April in his first start of the season. He then went on to win the listed British Stony Studs EBF Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood on May 21.
He is bred by the Stanley Estate and Stud Company, who are the owners of the Epsom Derby winner, Australia. He is a three-quarters brother to Golden Sword.
Star Catcher (GB)
During the summer of 2017, John Gosden won the G2 Ribblesdale Stakes with Star Catcher. Star Catcher, the filly by Starsprite (Ire) from Action This Day (Kris S.), began her career last December and won four of her first six starts. She has since won the Fillies Mares Stakes, QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes and Vermeille at ParisLongchamp.
Star Catcher also clinched the G2 Irish Oaks at the Royal meeting on June 20. She beat Fleeting (Ire), who is trained by Aidan O'Brien, by four and a half lengths. She has been unbeaten since the May 18 Listed Haras de Bouquetot Fillies' Trial S. at Newbury.
She has been supplemented for EUR40,000 by Anthony Oppenheimer. She has also been ridden by Frankie Dettori, who has won the Longines World's Best Jockey award for the second time.
Star Catcher's dam, Lynnwood Chase (Horse Chestnut SAf), is a daughter of Sea the Stars (IRE), who is a daughter of Sea the Stars - Sea the Stars - Sea the Stars (Ire), who is a daughter of Wedding of the Sea (Blushing Groom Fr.). The Comanche Country family has also produced Tower of London (Sprinters Stakes), Imagine (Epsom Oaks), Beaudelaire (Nijinsky II), Generous (Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe), Sobetsu (Prix Saint-Alary) and Generous (Prix de France).
John Gosden has been a successful trainer over the last couple of years, having won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes three times with Enable. In 2017, he also won the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks, G1 Epsom Oaks and G1 Derby with Beldame. He will also be hoping to defend his crown in the $2M Longines Distaff next month after three consecutive G1 wins.
Westover (GB)
Despite a disappointing third in the Cazoo Derby (G1) at Epsom three weeks ago, Westover (GB) is set to run in next week's King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes (G1) at Ascot. Aidan O'Brien has a record of eight wins at Epsom, including Alexandrova (2006) and Qualify (2015).
Westover, a son of Frankel (GB), is out of Lear Fan mare Mirabilis. She is a half-sister to dual Gr.1 winners Nebraska Tornado and Red Ransom (USA). She is also a daughter of Sea the Stars (IRE).
Westover was ridden by Colin Keane. He has won two group one races at the Curragh for Juddmonte Farms, including the Listed Siskin Stakes. He also won the Listed Silver Tankard Stakes at Pontefract in 2021. He will continue to ride Westover in next week's King George VI And Elizabeth Qipco Stakes.
Westover is a son of Frankel, who was a fine race horse. He won the Irish 1,000 Guineas in May and was second in the Prix de Diane in GB. He also won the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs. He also won the Coronation Stakes in GB. His son Enable won the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco, or QIPCO Stakes, three times in 2018. He also has a son, Hoo Ya Mal, who is a maiden at Navan.
Westover was bred by Juddmonte Farms' owners Khalid Abdullah and his wife, Najla, and foaled on April 24. He is out of Lear Fan mare Mirabilis, who is a half-sister to dual G3 winner Nebraska Tornado. He is a full brother to Gr.3 winner Monarchs Glen.
Westover has raced at the Curragh and Sandown-GB. He was ridden by Rob Hornby in his first two starts this year, but was replaced by Colin Keane for his run in the Irish Derby. Keane will ride Westover again in next week's King George VI And King Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot.