Betfred Oaks preview: Aidan O'Brien trio all on target

The trio booked their tickets with victories in key trials at Chester, Lingfield and York respectively, and the trainer told Monday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast: "At the moment it looks like those three fillies. The filly who won the Musidora, the filly who won the Cheshire Oaks and the filly who won the Lingfield trial, that’s what it looks like at the moment.

“Things can change and nothing is written in stone but that's what you’d be thinking at the moment, that’s what I think the lads are thinking."

Giselle has long been held in high regard and O'Brien hopes she's beginning to become more professional having taken a strong hold when winning her last race.

“She’s obviously potentially a very good filly.

"She's not straightforward, she's tough. She’d maul you a little bit if you allowed her. That’s what she did at bit with Ryan at Lingfield but he was well able to cope. She has got better since then and is settling a bit more, the freshness has gone off her, and she is a big, powerful, strong-galloping filly," he said.

Lake Victoria, as low as 7/1 for the Epsom Classic, is all set to head to Royal Ascot instead following her scintillating win in Sunday's Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

The daughter of Frankel was returning to winning ways after losing her unbeaten record in the Betfred 1000 at Newmarket on her reappearance.

Her trainer was convinced she'd come forward for that run, saying: "Everyone was delighted with her. Everyone had been happy with her since Newmarket, she really went the right way.

“At Newmarket was probably just ready for a good racecourse gallop, that’s the stage she was at. She raced late into the year last year and we gave her time and she had a small, little setback early on in the spring so we had to go gentle with her.

“We were thinking of going to the Curragh on the Monday, the day after the Guineas, but the race she was going to go to was changed from seven furlongs to a mile. Probably at seven we’d have gone to the Curragh and she wouldn’t have gone to Newmarket at all.

"But we said when we were going to run her over a mile she might as well run in the Guineas and obviously Ryan looked after her but she ran a very good race and wasn’t beaten that far. We thought there'd be a lot of improvement from there and everyone was very happy with her every day after that."

When asked if the Coronation Stakes would be next, he added: "I think so, that was the plan and what Ryan thought. Obviously the lads will chat with Ryan in a week or ten days and see what they’re thinking but that’s what I think they're thinking at the moment.

"Unusually, she’s a Group One winner over six, seven and a mile as a two-year-old. That's very rare. When she won the Cheveley Park she was very comfortable at the six and she quickened up really well yesterday. She’s well balanced and hopefully Ascot should suit."

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