Aidan O'Brien has word of warning for favourite backers as Giselle begins her potential route to the Oaks

Giselle is entered in six Group 1 races over the next couple of months and the Aidan O’Brien-trained filly has her first opportunity this season to prove she belongs in that sort of company in the William Hill Oaks Trial Fillies' Stakes at Lingfield.

The daughter of Frankel is no bigger than 20-1 for next month’s Betfred Oaks, before she makes her reappearance in what is the smallest field in this Classic trial since 2001.

Giselle was sent off odds-on favourite to beat her subsequent Chesham Stakes-winning stablemate Bedtime Story on her debut at Leopardstown last June. The form of that length and a quarter defeat to Bedtime Story has worked out well, with the winner going on to land a Leopardstown Group 3 and Curragh Group 2.

She went one better on her next start under Wayne Lordan in a 16-runner Curragh maiden, but was fourth past the post in the Group 3 Staffordstown Stud Stakes last October before the stewards upgraded her to be third in revised placings.

Ryan Moore will be wanting to avoid making it a hat-trick of odds-on defeats on Giselle in a race her trainer first won in 2004 with Baraka.

O'Brien said: “Giselle is only just ready to start. She's just taken a little bit of time to come to hand and she's not really there yet. She's in good form, though, and we're just hoping she'll be okay.

“She wears a hood as she can be a little bit keen, so hopefully that will help her relax.”

Aidan O'Brien: "Giselle is only just ready to start. She's just taken a little bit of time to come to hand and she's not really there yet"Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Since O’Brien last won the £60,000 Listed race with Seventh Heaven in 2016, he has saddled three seconds and had favourites beaten at 6-4, 5-6 and 6-5. 

Love Talk is 5lb inferior on ratings to Giselle but has more experience, with seven juvenile runs including a Group 2 fourth at Deauville behind 1,000 Guineas third Simmering. 

Harpsichord won a 1m4f novice on the all-weather track here in April and makes her turf debut for Simon and Ed Crisford.

Saturday's big-race insight:

1.35 Haydock: Superb Swinton shows the jumps is back - and there's no Willie Mullins to beat this time on a marvellous mixed Merseyside card 

2.40 Ascot: 'This will play to his strengths' - top trainers assess the Victoria Cup at Ascot 

3.00 Lingfield: Aidan O'Brien poised to sweep another Derby trial - but British trainer says there is 'plenty to like' about his contender 

3.15 Ascot: An above-average running of a competitive handicap - so can the unbeaten favourite be taken on? 

3.35 Lingfield: Can Great Generation give weight all round to repeat last year's Group 3 success? 

4.20 Naas: Has Wayne Lordan made the right decision on the Ballydoyle trio in the Oaks Trial? 

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