Oaks

McPeek Backs Savethelastdance To Fulfill Oaks Destiny

Kenny McPeek has backed impressive Cheshire Oaks winner Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to fulfill her destiny at Epsom next month and revealed that he will be watching how the Aidan O'Brien-trained filly's career develops with interest.  It was in 2017 when the US-based trainer concocted a daring plan to take on the best middle-distance fillies in Europe with Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy), the dam of the new short-priced Betfred Oaks winner Savethelastdance.  However, Daddys Lil Darling did not get the opportunity to show how good she was to the...

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Betfred Named as Derby Sponsor

Betfred has been announced as the new sponsor of the Derby, described by the company's founder Fred Done as "greatest Flat race in the world". In a deal initially lasting three years, the bookmaking firm will also sponsor the Oaks. This year's meeting takes place on June 2 and 3. The largest independent bookmaker in Britain, with 1,400 high street shops,  Betfred has also expanded into South Africa and currently operates across 10 American states. The company was racing's biggest sponsor between 2011 and 2018, its backing including the ßCheltenham...

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'I'll Be Shouting For Her': Salsabil's Jockey Willie Carson Backing Tuesday For Irish Derby

As Hollie Doyle so adeptly showed on Sunday, women can easily taken on men in racing, but it is a rare thing for a filly to tackle the colts in a Classic. There have however, been some notable successes, and when Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) lines up for Saturday's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby she will be following in the hoofprints of her fellow Oaks winners, Salsabil (Ire) and Balanchine, who bounced from victory at Epsom to beating the boys on the Curragh. Willie Carson was aboard the John Dunlop-trained...

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O'Brien Could Turn to Tuesday in Bid to Win 15th Irish Derby

It hasn't been done in over 25 years, but Cazoo Oaks heroine Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) could bid to become the first filly since Balanchine (Storm Bird {Can}) in 1994 to win the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on Saturday, her trainer Aidan O'Brien has revealed. Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who many believed was the ace in O'Brien's three-year-old pack, was sidelined shortly after finishing third in the 2000 Guineas and, after drawing a blank in the Derby, the master of Ballydoyle admitted that he may yet turn to the...

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Deal Done: Watership Down Stud Buy into Oaks Runner-up Emily Upjohn

Watership Down Stud has swopped to secure a 50% interest in Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), runner-up in the Cazoo Oaks at Epsom when last seen.  Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Emily Upjohn was given a Timeform rating of 119p following her narrow defeat in the Oaks 10 days ago, where she overcame a slow start to go down fighting behind Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo). Emily Upjohn has a number of intriguing entries, including the Irish Oaks and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S.  Wherever she...

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Doyle says Major Oaks Player Nashwa is 'Everything You Want in a Racehorse'

Hollie Doyle has described Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as being "everything you want in a racehorse" ahead of her bid to become the first female rider to win a Classic when she partners John and Thady Goden's rapidly-improving filly in the Cazoo Oaks at Epsom on Friday.  Doyle is well used to breaking boundaries at this stage, with her tally of 152 winners in 2021 surpassing her own record of winners in a calendar year for a female jockey. She has also ridden two five-timers, became the first woman to...

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Clover to Roll The Big Dice With Rogue Millennium in the Oaks

Tom Clover enjoyed his greatest day on a racecourse when emerging star Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) advertised her Classic credentials when landing an Oaks Trial at Lingfield last month and now the trainer is looking forward to rolling the big dice at Epsom. A Shadwell castoff who was picked up for just 35,000gns at the Mares Sale at Tattersalls last December, Rogue Millennium has already proved to be one of the finds of the season, building on her debut success at Wetherby to run out a gritty winner of...

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Gosden Talks Up Emily Upjohn For Oaks At Gallops Morning

John Gosden has labelled Cazoo Oaks favourite Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) as being in the same league as Taghrooda (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who he first won the Epsom Classic with in 2014, after overseeing the unbeaten filly work at the track on Monday morning. Emily Upjohn is a general even-money shot to provide Gosden with a fourth Oaks success following a stylish victory in the G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. at York earlier this month. Gosden, who shares his training licence with his son Thady, also...

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Stone Age The Prime Choice for Moore

ROSEGREEN, Ireland--Ryan Moore will find it difficult to ride anything other than Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Cazoo Derby, according to Aidan O'Brien, who may be without the ace--Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB})--in his Epsom pack, but expects to run up to six colts as he bids for a record-extending ninth win in the race on June 4. Stone Age didn't just open the door to a tilt at the Derby in winning the G3 Derby Trial at Leopardstown on Sunday, he kicked it open and announced himself as...

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Epsom Downs Jubilee Celebrations In The Works

On the eve of The Queen's Platinum Jubilee, The Jockey Club has revealed some early details of the plans in place to mark the celebration at the Cazoo Derby festival at Epsom Downs on June 3 and 4. With The Queen confirmed to attend the Derby alongside members of the Royal Family, tens of thousands of fans will be permitted to attend the raceday, with The Hill also re-opened for the first time in two years. The Hill will this year include a ticketed Jubilee Family Celebration section, with other...

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Dual Classic Winner Snowfall Dead

Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the record 16-length winner of the G1 Cazoo Oaks last June, has been euthanised after suffering a pelvic injury in her box. "It's very sad news, terrible," said trainer Aidan O'Brien. "The lads were thinking of keeping her in training but they hadn't quite made up their minds. It was very possible. "She had a pelvic injury in her box. Sometimes pelvic injuries go the right way or they can go the wrong way. Unfortunately this one went the wrong way. It's very sad and...

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High Definition Possible For Dante

G1 Cazoo Derby favourite High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) could be re-routed to next Thursday's G2 Dante S. at York after unsatisfactory blood work ruled him out of Saturday's Listed Derby Trial S. at Lingfield. "His blood count didn't come back proper--his SAA [Serum Amyloid A] was very high and that is usually an indication of inflammation or infection somewhere, but we couldn't find either anywhere in his body," O'Brien told Sky Sports Racing. "He scoped perfect this morning. Maybe it was just one of those things, but we'll do...

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