Can Amelia Earhart fly high to the top of Aidan O'Brien's Epsom Classic team and follow in Minnie Hauk's footsteps?

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Aidan O'Brien has long utilised Chester's May meeting to prepare his Epsom hopefuls and Amelia Earhart is the latest filly to put her Oaks credentials on the line.

The trainer has won the Weatherbys Cheshire Oaks nine times, most recently last year with dual Oaks winner Minnie Hauk. She had two runs under her belt as a juvenile before lining up in this race, getting off the mark at the second attempt in a mile maiden at Leopardstown. 

Amelia Earhart landed the same maiden in October by seven lengths and the runner-up that day, Chasing Paradise, has since won a Curragh maiden in good style before finishing fourth in a Group 3.

The Camelot filly took a bit longer than Minnie Hauk to get off the mark, as she broke her maiden at the fifth attempt, but she was more of a work in progress as a two-year-old and was green when placing in maidens at Leopardstown and Galway.

She was also tasked with running in Group 3 company in September while still a maiden, earning plenty of credit by finishing fourth behind Black Caviar Gold over seven furlongs. She shaped as though in need of a stamina examination that day, illustrated by her runaway success over a mile at Leopardstown, where she achieved a Racing Post Rating of 96.

Amelia Earhart won in a decent time and she was quicker in each of the final four furlongs than any of her rivals, so it was a thoroughly dominant performance. Her breeding also provides a lot of encouragement that this unique track and step up in trip will be ideal.

Her dam, Venus De Milo, won the Munster Oaks over a mile and a half, and she is a sister to Cleveland, who landed the 2m2½f Chester Cup for Ballydoyle in 2022. Her dam's half-sister, What A Home, also won her maiden over a mile and a half at Chester in 2017.

Sugar Island: was a Group 3 winner at twoCredit: Patrick McCann

O'Brien, who also saddles Group 3 winner Sugar Island, said: "Amelia Earhart is in good form and, like them all, she's just ready to start. She's been away a few times and we always thought going up in trip would help her so it will be interesting. We're not sure how far Sugar Island will stay but she's in good form and we'll learn and it will be interesting as well."

Sugar Island handled the testing ground well when landing a Curragh Group 3 in October. The runner-up, Thundering On, advertised the form well by landing the Salsabil Stakes last month.

She shapes as though she will handle the step up in trip well and she's a half-sister to Mother Nature, who achieved her best RPR over this trip.

What they say

Richard Brown, racing adviser to Wathnan Racing, owners of A La Prochaine
She won nicely at Newbury last year and we put her away. Ralph [Beckett] says she's still not quite there yet, but the rain has come and it'll be nice ground, so we'll get her started. She's still a bit wintery in her coat so I'm sure she'll step forward.

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