Guineas heroine Love and Royal Ascot star Frankly Darling lock horns in Oaks

3.40 Epsom
Investec Oaks (Group 1) | 1m4f, 3yo fillies | ITV/RTV

Aidan O’Brien’s heart will beat a little quicker than normal if the rain arrives at Epsom on Saturday as Love, the brilliant 1,000 Guineas winner and short-priced favourite for the Investec Oaks ever since, would have a preference for good ground.

Described as a “beautiful mover” by O’Brien, Love has always been viewed as a middle-distance filly, despite the fact she is not guaranteed to stay the Oaks trip on pedigree.

Speaking about the mount of Ryan Moore, O’Brien said: “Love seems to be in good form. The plan has always been to go to the Guineas and then the Oaks, and everything has been well with her since Newmarket.”

He added: “We always thought she would get further this year. She only ran over a mile last year but we've always viewed her as a filly who'd get further.”

The substitutes bench at Ballydoyle, as ever, is littered with talent, so much so that Seamie Heffernan has given up two weeks of the Irish season in order to ride Ennistymon among others at Epsom and beyond this weekend.

Ennistymon and Passion finished second and third in that order behind Oaks rival Frankly Darling in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot and O’Brien has been happy with the pair since.

He said: “Ennistymon is a filly we've always liked. She had a lovely run at the Curragh last year and she won her maiden at Leopardstown on her return, when there wasn't a very strong pace on, but she won well. We were delighted with her next start, when she stepped up to a mile and a half at Ascot, and everything has been well with her since.

“Passion is a filly we've always liked a lot, too. She progressed well from Navan to Ascot and if there's any ease in the ground it won't bother her. In an ideal world, though, we'd like nice ground for Love as she's a beautiful mover.”

Gosden: this is a whole grade higher for Darling

Aidan O'Brien may have the favourite in Love, but John Gosden has won as many Oaks in the last six years as the master of Ballydoyle and has a strong representative again in Frankly Darling.

The two master trainers of their era are three apiece in that time – you have to go back to 2013 to find another name on the trophy – and while Gosden has high hopes for Frankly Darling, he is fearful of the favourite.

"There's a very worthy favourite in the race but we were thrilled to win a Ribblesdale with Frankly Darling," said Gosden. "This is a whole grade higher but she's been in good form at home since and we know she’ll get the trip and is versatile as regards ground, so we expect her to give another good account in what looks a good Oaks.

"Hopefully she can finish in the frame. Frankie [Dettori] rode her out earlier in the week and we’re happy with her going into the Oaks."

If that sounds slightly negative, do not let it put you off, it is just the man's style. The year the Gosden-trained Enable won the race, Rhododendron was the 8-11 favourite and, among other things, in the pre-race preview Gosden said: "The good ground should be fine for her in what looks a high-class Oaks in which we have a healthy respect for the favourite."

Rhododendron came from the Guineas, Enable had proved herself at the trip – albeit in a lesser grade. Could history repeat?

There is a second string to the Gosden bow in the form of Pretty Polly seventh Tiempo Vuela, and the trainer added: "Things did not pan out for Tiempo Vuela in the Pretty Polly at Newmarket, which was her first start on grass, and she has pleased us since."

Varian optimistic about Oaks duo

Aidan O'Brien and John Gosden may have had a stranglehold over the Investec Oaks for the last six years, but Roger Varian and Peter Chapple-Hyam are bidding to break that sequence at Epsom.

Varian saddles two runners and is optimistic about Pretty Polly second Queen Daenerys, describing her as a "lively outsider", while he feels it is the right sort of Oaks to pitch in Newbury winner Gold Wand.

The trainer said: "It was a good run [at Newmarket] by Queen Daenerys, I thought she needed the run and I liked how she stayed on from four out. It was quite a gruelling race actually – she had to work hard from the four-pole and all she did was lengthen.

Queen Daenerys (red and white) gets closest to the winner Run Wild in the Pretty Polly StakesCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

"She did the best of those who raced off the pace and I thought she was a very comfortable second – she just got tired in the final 100 yards when fitness told.

"I think you’d call her a lively outsider. She needs to find improved form to win an Oaks but she’s not done much wrong in her career and is still on the upgrade.

"She’s going to get every yard of the trip and there’s every reason to be optimistic about how she’s going to run."

Of Gold Wand, he added: "She's a classy filly, it’s a shame we’ve not had time to get two runs into her before the Oaks. She shows a lot of ability and hasn't done a lot wrong on the track.

"It’s not a big field and the ground should be good, so I think it’s the right circumstances to have a go with a bit of an inexperienced one."

Chapple-Hyam is no stranger to Classic success at Epsom, having won the Derby with Dr Devious and Authorized, and hopes Ribblesdale fourth Bharani Star can give a good account of herself.

Peter Chapple-Hyam: saddles Ribblesdale fourth Bharani StarCredit: Edward Whitaker

The trainer said: "Bharani Star is in good form and all set for the Investec Oaks. There are only eight runners and hopefully she can run a big race.

"It's going to be tough, but she seems to have improved from Royal Ascot and I'm very pleased with her at home. With hindsight, I think she probably could have finished closer [at Ascot] and I think she has progressed again from the Ribblesdale."

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