Fourteen confirmed for Oaks at Epsom

Fourteen confirmed for Oaks at

Epsom

Legatissimo (Danehill Dancer) headlines 14 six-day confirmations for the Oaks

(Eng-G1) at Epsom Downs on June 5. The David Wachman-trained filly is the 3-1

favorite with Coral to follow up her victory in the mile One Thousand Guineas

(Eng-G1) at Newmarket on May 3.

"She worked this morning and went well," Wachman said Saturday. "The Oaks is

the plan at the moment, and we're taking it day-by-day. She's a big filly and

will only get stronger."

There are seven Irish-trained acceptors for the classic, worth £450,000, and

Aidan O'Brien's contingent is headed by close Irish One Thousand Guineas

(Ire-G1) runner-up Found (Galileo) and last season's Fillies' Mile winner

(Eng-G1) Together Forever (Galileo). O'Brien has also confirmed impressive

Cheshire Oaks scorer Diamondsandrubies (Fastnet Rock), Lingfield Oaks Trial

third Wedding Vow (Galileo) and Qualify (Fastnet Rock) as he bids for a fifth

Oaks victory.

Jessica Harrington is planning to run Jack Naylor (Champs Elysses), who put

up an eye-catching performance when fourth on her comeback in the Irish One

Thousand Guineas on May 24.

Newmarket trainer John Gosden landed the spoils with Taghrooda 12 months ago

and looks to have good chances again, courtesy of progressive trial winners

Jazzi Top (Danehill Dancer) and Star of Seville (Duke of Marmalade).

Jazzi Top captured the Pretty Polly S. in early May at Newmarket, the race

which has produced the last two Oaks winners, while Star Of Seville got the

better of Together Forever in the Musidora S. (Eng-G3) at York on May 13.

Crystal Zvezda (Dubawi) laid down her marker for classic glory when taking a

Listed event impressively by 3 1/2 lengths earlier this month at Newbury, while

Lady of Dubai (Dubawi) captured the Height of Fashion S. in similar fashion at

Goodwood on May 21.

With Ryan Moore committed to Legatissimo for the Oaks, the mount on Crystal

Zvezda is vacant, and jockey Richard Hughes is hoping it is his after partnering

the Sir Michael Stoute-trained filly in a work Saturday.

"If I receive the call I am ready to ride her," the champion rider said. "She

gave me a lovely feeling (Saturday) and really moved well. She was very

impressive at Newbury, but she may not be quite as streetwise as some of the

others as she has not really been seen in a battle, so that is a bit of an

unknown. It would be great to pick up a ride like this in the Oaks, which has

been a lucky race for me."

Ralph Beckett sent out Look Here (2008) and Talent (2014) to win the Oaks and

is set to be represented by Bellajeu (Montjeu) this time around. She was beaten

a head in a Newbury maiden on her first outing for Beckett in October after

being trained by Olly Stevens for her first two starts. She finished second on

her reappearance in the Oaks Trial at Lingfield on May 9.

"Bellajeu has been training well since Lingfield and I am happy with her

condition and how she is looking," Beckett said. "I wouldn't say we are tilting

at windmills but she is still a maiden and we are coming off only a placed

effort in the Lingfield trial. Having said that, I think she is still coming

forward and it's worth a shot."

There is one remaining entry from France, Al Naamah (Galileo), who was sold

for a record five million guineas as a yearling. Owned by Al Shaqab Racing,

she's a full-sister to 2012 Oaks scorer Was and went down narrowly on her

seasonal reappearance when the short-neck runner-up in the Prix Cleopatre

(Fr-G3) at Saint-Cloud on May 13.

Like Jazzi Top and Star of Seville, Al Naamah worked at Epsom Downs during

the "Breakfast With The Stars" on Tuesday morning, gaining experience around the

undulating course for herself and jockey Gregory Benoist, who was also having

his first experience of the Surrey track.

The confirmations are completed by the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Local Time

(Invincible Time), who has already enjoyed a pair of classic wins for Godolphin

on dirt in Dubai this year -- the UAE One Thousand Guineas and UAE Oaks

(UAE-G3).

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