Nothing normal about it as Classic king O'Brien marches on

Aidan O'Brien is 10-1 for a clean sweep of the Classics in Britain and Ireland this season.

The likelihood is that those odds will be even shorter by teatime on Friday after Rhododendron has tackled the Investec Oaks.

A filly beaten in the 1,000 Guineas who has never raced beyond a mile would not normally be trading at odds-on for a Classic that is contested over half as far again at a course that does not suit all.

But then O'Brien does not do normal, his domination of Flat racing outlandish in its breadth. Imagine Napoleon capturing Moscow then breezing off to take charge of Vladivostok, Beijing and Tokyo too.

All four British and Irish Classics in 2017 have fallen his way and Winter's dominance of the fillies' division gives the biggest clue to Rhododendron's chances.

The daughter of Galileo had less room than a rush-hour tube commuter as the 1,000 Guineas boiled to a climax.

Once she wriggled free, stablemate Winter had flown. But the way she then stayed on powerfully offers promise for today's more taxing stamina test in a race Minding won for O'Brien last year having also never raced beyond a mile.

Frankly speaking

We now know from his appearance on Loose Women that Frankie Dettori manscapes and likes his eggs hard-boiled, which is fascinating but did nothing towards telling us if he was going to be winning the Oaks on Enable.

It is 15 years since he last did a flying dismount after the race, from Kazzia, but in teaming up with the Cheshire Oaks winner there is a significant prospect of him doing so again.

Enable is trained by John Gosden, the man most likely to deny O'Brien yet another Classic success as he also runs Coronet.

It is borderline surprising that Gosden has won the Oaks only once, succeeding at the tenth attempt when Taghrooda triumphed in 2014.

But this year he believes he has one of his strongest ever squads of three-year-old fillies and there was enough in Enable's comfortable defeat of O'Brien's Alluringly in Chester's Classic trial to advertise her chances of becoming the first winner of that race to follow up at Epsom since Light Shift a decade ago.

Coronet was the more precocious two-year-old and supporters will be hoping her defeat to Sobetsu, who reopposes, in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary at Deauville can be blamed on the soft ground.

Rain a pain

Despite it being the hottest week of the year, such yielding conditions remain a possibility if Epsom is unlucky enough to get the localised blitzkrieg of rain, thunder, lightning and hail threatened for the south-east of England on Friday afternoon.

That would not please O'Brien, whose Highland Reel is the rightful favourite for the day's other Group 1, the Investec Coronation Cup, but whose performances with ease in the ground have been among his worst.

The Dubai Sheema Classic, when it was uncharacteristically wet, was the latest example, as he trailed in last to Jack Hobbs. But on decent ground nothing can boast a better CV, which includes an Arc second and Breeders' Cup Turf win.

His ability to handle Epsom is an unknown though, unlike stablemate and brother Idaho, last year's Derby third, who O'Brien thinks has been blighted by bad luck – he unseated Seamie Heffernan when odds-on for the St Leger – and is as good as Highland Reel.

In an echo of the Oaks it is Gosden and Dettori who offer the biggest threat to Ballydoyle as they team up with Journey, winner of the Group 1 Fillies & Mares on her last start on British Champions Day.

Having been rightly restored to its traditional Friday slot this year, the Coronation Cup, which rather got lost on Derby day, has attracted a field of ten, its biggest since 2008 – although if it buckets down we will all be wishing it was back on the Saturday.

Moore joy?

Richard Hannon has not won the Oaks yet, but the Investec Woodcote Stakes has been kind and plenty will be following him blind in the opening race of five on ITV.

Thunder Strike won it for his father Richard snr four years ago and Baitha Alga and Legendary Lunch have since followed up for the yard.

All have been favourite or joint-favourite for the two-year-old contest and on Friday Hannon has another likely sort lined up in De Bruyne Horse. The Ripon winner is another juicy mount for Ryan Moore, the partner of Rhododendron and Highland Reel. Treble anyone?