Savethelastdance in splendid isolation at Epsom

Betfred Oaks runners: Aidan O'Brien has six of the 15 entries

By David Ord

Horse Racing

Sat May 27, 2023 · 3y ago

Aidan O’Brien is responsible for six of the 15 six-day entries for the Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday.

Along with favourite and runaway Cheshire Oaks winner Savethelastdance, he has left Be Happy, Boogie Woogie, Jackie Oh, Red Riding Hood and recent Newbury winner Warm Hart in the Classic.

Leading the home defence are the John and Thady Gosden-trained Soul Sister (Musidora winner) and Pretty Polly heroine Running Lion.

Godolphin’s Eternal Hope has been supplemented into the race. The Charlie Appleby-trained filly won the Lingfield Oaks Trial on the all-weather earlier this month, beating Be Happy by a length and three-quarters. That was just the third run of her career but having impressed Appleby in a piece of work on Saturday morning, the decision was made to pay the £30,000 supplementary fee.

The fourth and fifth from the 1000 Guineas, Jack Channon’s Caernarfon and Charlie Johnston’s Dance In The Grass, could run in their second Classics while David Menuisier’s Heartache Tonight, beaten a little over a length in the Group One Prix Saint-Alary, is another contender.

Karl Burke’s Bright Diamond, Richard Hannon’s Maman Joon and Andrew Balding’s Sea Of Roses complete the list.

Infinite Cosmos, Never Ending Story and Bluestocking are among those taken out.

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