Minnie Hauk lands the Betfred Oaks at Epsom
Minnie Hauk (9-2) won a thrilling battle with stable-mate Whirl (15-2) to give Aidan O'Brien an 11th victory in the Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday afternoon.
Minnie Hauk – an impressive winner of the Listed Cheshire Oaks at last month's Boodles Chester May Festival – just got the better of her stable-mate in a thrilling battle to the line, scoring by a neck under stable jockey Ryan Moore with Godolphin's 1,000 Guineas heroine and 11-10 favourite Desert Flower four lengths back in third. Moore had the choice of O'Brien's three challengers in the Fillies' Classic – with Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Giselle, who eventually came home fifth, also entered. But he passed over her and the Musidora Stakes winner Whirl for the improving daughter of Frankel, Minnie Hauk, who had won for a second time in three career starts on the Roodee last month.
Advertisement
Under Moore, Minnie Hauk was sat a couple of lengths off the pace set by Whirl and Wayne Lordan. When Whirl kicked for home after the turn around Tattenham Corner, Moore moved Minnie Hauk closer to challenge. The two Ballydoyle fillies quickly went clear of their rivals and in a protracted battle all the way up the home straight, both gave their all but it was just Minnie Hauk who prevailed by a neck.
READ MORE: Horse Power: The Lion In Winter to roar back with victory in the Betfred Derby at Epsom
READ MORE: Jan Brueghel crowned a winner in the Coronation Cup at Epsom
O'Brien is now closing on 19th century trainer Robert Robson's 13 victories in the Epsom Classic as Minnie Hauk followed the likes of his former Oaks scorers including Alexandrova, Minding, Love, Snowfall and his most recent victor Tuesday (2022) into the winner's enclosure. Having won a 30th Group One at the Derby Festival with Jan Brueghel's success in the Coronation Cup earlier in the day, Moore and O'Brien were again the men for the big occasion.
Advertisement
O'Brien said: 'I'm delighted with her; she's very classy and Ryan gave her a beautiful ride. He loved her the last day (at Chester) and then again today, so she's very exciting. She's obviously learning - she went to Chester and learnt a lot and was still green, and she was always improving from mid-race. What you love about her is that she's a great traveller; she has a lot of class. Ryan felt he was going very easily today on her and usually what that means is that she will be able to step up a couple of grades into even higher-class races. It's lovely for the lads and for everyone to have another filly like that.
'Colin [Keane] was delighted with his filly (Giselle, fifth); he said she's a bit of a baby and a bit weak, so she will improve. Whirl (second) ran a great race; she stays and obviously has a lot of class too. We were going to go forward if no one else wanted to. Ryan was going to go forward, and so was Wayne. Obviously Colin didn't want to go forward; his filly was too keen and we all knew that; he was going to try to get her to relax and see what would happen. I don't think it was too fast a pace. I'm delighted with the way it all went.
'Those Wootton Bassetts (Whirl's sire) – obviously they have speed but they also stay. Obviously she got a mile and a quarter at York by staying and we thought there was a chance she would get the mile and a half, but we weren't sure. Ryan said that he would have been happier going a bit faster in the first half of race, and usually the sign of a very classy filly, so that means she'll be very comfortable standing up against the older horses when the time comes. We'll see. I'm delighted for everyone. It's a big team and everyone plays their part – I'm just the observer, really, and it's the lads who, every year, keep these pedigrees going and make sure we have these horses to be able to work with.'
Moore, who was wining a fifth Oaks, said: "She began well and travelled strong early and I just wanted to make sure I was in a position to do what I wanted when I wanted. She just travelled a bit too strong and fell asleep on me then after I asked her to relax. The filly in front is a good filly and kept building the whole way and I just had to ask my filly to go to her and she quickened up very smartly and got there easily. Whirl came back and my filly found a little bit more. I think she'll improve for the experience and as far as three-year-old fillies go she's very good.
Advertisement
"She'll be (going for the) Irish Oaks/Nassau Stakes, that sort of thing, and we'll go from there. She's a lightly-raced filly and should improve."
Moore added: "I rode some exceptional fillies in this race, Love and Minding spring to mind and Snow Fairy as well. She's got a way to go, but she's open to any amount of improvement."
Lordan, who rode runner-up Whirl, said: 'I've gone a nice gallop as we felt that she would stay. She was loving it out the front; she kept extending well. Ryan went a good half-length off me. I think both fillies were just coming to the end of their tether and having a bit of a roll around, but I felt we had been well held at the line. I couldn't fault my filly – she ran a stormer. She's a lovely filly and she tries hard. She's very straightforward, very uncomplicated and she shows you everything she has.'
Charlie Appleby, trainer of the third-placed Desert Flower, said: 'It just looked like she got a bit unbalanced coming down the hill and hit a bit of a flat spot just at the point you don't want to, but take nothing away from the first two as they just kept galloping. We all think she got it [the trip] and personally I'd like to see her in something like the Yorkshire Oaks, on a nice galloping track. We'll give her a break now. Will just thought she'd be more comfortable on a sounder surface than she got today. She won on slow ground in the Fillies' Mile, but slow ground on a track like this might have been a consideration. Back on a more conventional track will hopefully be more her gig.'
Advertisement
Keane, who was on board fifth-placed Giselle, said: 'She ran okay. She was a little bit in my hands in the first half then settled as we went on. She feels like a filly who lengthens and gallops rather than quickens, but it was a nice run.'
Jockey Jim Crowley said of seventh-placed Elwateen: 'She was disappointing. We were beaten turning in so we can't blame the trip. I had a lovely run round but it just didn't happen.'
The David O'Meara-trained Mirsky (6-1) won the Trustatrader Handicap, under Oisin Murphy, by a comfortable length-and-a-quarter from Alpha Circus (8-1) with the winner's stable-mate Julia Augusta (40-1) a further three-quarters-of-a-length back third and Ebt's Guard (9-2) another neck adrift in fourth.
The ex-French winner backed up a recent win at Thirsk and could now head to Royal Ascot for the Royal Hunt Cup. Trainer O'Meara said: 'He ran well a few times last year without winning, but we always felt he had something like this in him. It maybe took us a while to get the hang of him, but he's won his last two now, which is great. The Hunt Cup would be a possibility now. Julia Augusta ran well in third. She'd run well here last year in the Diomed but hadn't run before this season. Bopedro just found it a bit sharp here but was staying on in fifth, so they all ran well.'
Winning rider Murphy added: 'That was good placing by David, who really fancied him today. I've ridden plenty of nice winners for him here and it was nice of him to put me up again.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jan Brueghel crowned a winner in the Coronation Cup at Epsom
Jan Brueghel (10-3) battled to a gutsy victory to give Aidan O'Brien a record-extending 10th victory in the Betfred Coronation Cup at Epsom on Friday afternoon. Under Ryan Moore, the four-year-old son of Galileo upset warm 8-13 favourite Calandagan in the Group One contest, holding the French raider off to score by half-a-length. The Francis Henri-Graffard-trained four-year-old, who won at Royal Ascot last year, was once again having to settle for second place in a Group One having been runner-up to to O'Brien's City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International, to Anmaat in the Champions Stakes at Ascot and on his seasonal return behind Danon Decile in the Dubai Sheema Classic in Meydan in April. But Jan Brueghel, who was unbeaten in his four starts last season including in the Betfred St Leger, bounced back from a first career defeat when second on his seasonal return to Galen in the Group Three Alleged Stakes at the Curragh in April, to land another Group One victory despite not necessarily being at home on the ups and downs of the Epsom track. Advertisement Ballydoyle stable-mate Continuous cut out the running with Giavellotto. But after the turn around Tattenham Corner, Jan Brueghel – who was tracking the leaders – came through to hit the front as Calandagan also made his move. The pair battled for supremacy all the way to the line and while the pair were locked together, Jan Brueghel was always giving more and held his big rival to follow the likes of O'Brien's great stayer Yeats, hat-trick hero St Nicholas Abbey (2011-2013), Fame And Glory and Luxembourg – in the same maroon and blue Coolmore colours 12 months ago – to land the Coronation Cup. READ MORE: Minnie Hauk lands the Betfred Oaks at Epsom READ MORE: Horse Power: The Lion In Winter to roar back with victory in the Betfred Derby at Epsom The Galileo colt gave trainer O'Brien a record-extending 10th victory in the Coronation Cup and is likely to be aimed all the other top middle-distance contests throughout the season. Advertisement O'Brien, who was also winning his 30th Group One at the Derby Festival, said: "He's a very tough horse and Ryan (Moore) gave him a class ride. He doesn't surrender. He was unbeaten last year and he was the biggest penalty kick ever in the Melbourne Cup, but didn't get to run. "Ryan has given him an incredible ride and got him balanced and into a lovely rhythm. They started to race from a long way out, but it was incredible in the straight how he carried on. Everyone knew it was going to be a good gallop and Wayne Lordan (on Continuous) was there to ensure it was a good gallop, all everyone wanted was a solidly-run race and Ryan felt they were going fast enough for him. "I thought Wayne was excellent at setting the pace and everyone was happy to get a lead off Wayne and when you get a race run at a suitable pace you know what distance you can go next or what not to. This way everyone learns. "At Group One level he is a mile-and-a-half-plus horse and he's a very tough horse who would still be unbeaten if I hadn't run him at the Curragh. It's was a lovely run first time back and it was only over a mile and a quarter and he was beaten by a good horse of Joseph's (O'Brien, Galen). It was a bit unfair what I did pitching him in over that trip, but I needed to get him out early. He's a very brave horse and if you pass him slowly you're in trouble." Advertisement Illinois was originally set to be the Ballydoyle entrant in the Coronation Cup but following the retirement of star stayer Kyprios, he will be heading to the Ascot Gold Cup. O'Brien added: "Everyone was standing in line behind Kyprios and he was always going to get first preference and there would be no move made on anything if he was going to Gold Cup. When he was retired Illinois was put in there and this fella came into Illinois' position. He was going to go for a Group One in Longchamp but then slotted in here." Jockey Moore, who was winning a fifth Coronation Cup. said: "He's only been beaten once and he's a very good horse. He's a Classic winner and still improving and we're still learning. Hopefully we'll keep learning about him. He was headed there and battled back, but he's a tough horse." Francis-Henri Graffard, trainer of runner-up Calandagan, said: 'The horse had a perfect run and got the ride we were thinking of. Going down the hill he found himself behind Ryan (Moore on the winner) and he gave him plenty of time to balance. He probably took the lead for a small moment and then when they started to climb again you could see that Ryan was finding more. He's a very talented horse and I'm sure he'll win a Group One as he always runs his race. There are no excuses and I think it was a good performance. Don't forget he ran in Dubai and he hasn't run in Europe until this race. I think he was ready, but the winner is a tough O'Brien horse who keeps finding more. He's in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.' Calandagan's jockey Mickael Barzalona added: 'He always throws away the start a little – we cannot manage another way with him, but once he found his rhythm… I was behind Ryan at Tattenham Corner and I was pretty happy to be there. About 100yd before the line I hoped he'd stay on, he was just getting a bit tired before the line. It was the first time for him at this track and I hoped that he would break faster and get a better position earlier, but he has his own rhythm and we have to deal with that. This is the first time he has run on this different sort of track. I think he might have been outstayed, yes.' Formal, ridden by Oisin Murphy, on the way to winning the Nyetimber Surrey Stakes on Betfred Oaks Day at the 2025 Betfred Derby Festival at Epsom Downs Racecourse on Friday, June 6 2025 -Credit:PA Formal (9-4 joint favourite) scorched to victory in the opener on Betfred Oaks day, the Listed Nyetimber Surrey Stakes. Under Oisin Murphy three-year-old filly, who was trained by the now retired Sir Michael Stoute during her juvenile campaign, justified the support that sent her off the well-backed 9-4 joint favourite alongside Diego Ventura, to score in style. Advertisement Now trained by Andrew Balding, the Cheveley Park Stud-owned daughter of Dubawi justified the promise of her first two wins last season. Although she disappointed when eighth in the Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury on her debut for her new stable, she stepped up markedly on that. She was sat just off the pace set by The Waco Kid before easily moving to the front. She went clear of her rivals with around three furlongs to go in the seven-furlong contest. And she was a length-and-half clear of Saqqara Sands (13-2) at the line with the other 9-4 joint favourite Diego Ventura a further length-and-a-quarter back in third. Balding said a trip to Royal Ascot is unlikely but he was delighted with Formal. He said: "I thought she ran well in the Fred Darling, but it was a funny race and she got impeded at a vital stage and didn't give her true running. It made our decision easy and we skipped any idea of a Guineas and rebooted and this became the obvious choice. It's a relief to see her win like that. She had been quite keen early doors at home and her work is very good at home, but we thought now she had the first run under her belt we would take the hood off. She travelled really strongly but didn't over-race." He added: "I think we'll probably wait for something like the Oak Tree (at Goodwood on July 30). I don't think we want to be squeezing races into her and that looks the right spot. After that we know she goes well on slow ground so we would have the whole autumn ahead of us. She looked quite good there, but we will take it step by step." Ralph Beckett, trainer of runner-up Saqqara Sands, said: 'The winner got away but that was a really good effort. She lacked a recent run, which all those around her had had, and we are very pleased. I should think the Eternal Stakes at Carlisle in three weeks' time might be next for her.' Advertisement On the third-placed Diego Ventura, jockey James Doyle added: 'It's a bit sticky out there, a bit dead, but not bad (ground). Mine ran fine, but he was just a bit sleepy for this trip and track. I think he wants more of a stiff seven (furlongs).' Maximized, ridden by Liverpool FC fan William Buick, wins the Betfred British EBF Woodcote Stakes on Betfred Oaks Day of the 2025 Betfred Derby Festival at Epsom Downs Racecourse on Friday, June 6 2025 -Credit:PA Maximized (6-5 favourite) won the Betfred British EBF Woodcote Stakes. Under Liverpool FC fan William Buick, the Charlie Appleby-trained two-year-old made it two wins from two starts with a smart victory in the six-furlong contest. Maximised had made an eye-catching debut when winning over six furlongs at Haydock Park and the son of Mehmas, who cost £720,000 at the spring breeze-up sales, continued that perfect start to score in the Godolphin blue at Epsom. The two-year-old was tracking the pace set by Logi Bear and then came through to take over two furlongs from home alongside Havana Hurricane. Coral cut Maximized to 12-1 from 16-1 for the Group Two Coventry Stakes on the opening day of Royal Ascot two weeks on Tuesday. Advertisement Trainer Appleby said: "When he won at Haydock he jumped and skipped very sweetly on the sounder surface and it's good to soft out there today. It will be interesting to see what Will has got to say, but he might have found that a little bit more testing today I would imagine. "The Royal Ascot picture is building with a few of these two-year-olds. With Military Code we might look towards the Coventry, and then we've Wise Approach who we thought could be a Norfolk or a Windsor Castle horse. I don't think this horse would be able to drop back in trip, so if we need to go to Ascot it could be the Coventry, or we could skip Ascot as I thought the July Stakes (at Newmarket) could be a nice race for him to be honest." Brocklesby Stakes winner Norman's Cay had to be eased down by jockey David Egan well before the line, with the colt appearing to go wrong. Screens were erected around the Richard Hannon-trained runner but a Jockey Club spokesperson said: "He walked into the horse ambulance and will be taken to the racecourse stables for further assessment." Ecureuil Secret, ridden by Oisin Orr, on the way to winning the Betfred Nifty 50 Handicap at Epsom Downs Racecourse on Friday June 6 2025 -Credit:PA Ecureuil Secret (28-1) ran out an impressive winner of the Betfred Nifty 50 Handicap. Richard Fahey's four-year-old, under Oisin Orr, made what appeared a competitive 1m2f handicap look easy as he bounded clear to score by four lengths from Akecheta (17-2) with Westerton (11-1) third, three-quarters-of-a-length back in third and Defiance (11-2) half-a-length further adrift in fourth. Advertisement Winning jockey Orr said: "He's been working well at home and I thought the ground on the easy side would definitely suit but we didn't have a great draw. We got a good break, got in a really good position and it was easy from there. I know he stays well so I was happy enough to get rolling early and he galloped through the line well, took a bit of pulling up as well; it's a dead end and that was it so he had no choice but to stop, lucky it was there." David Loughnane's Partisan Hero (7-2) made all the running under Silvestre de Sousa to deny Fahey and Orr a big-priced double with Golden Mind (25-1) a head adrift in second in the Debenhams Handicap. Last year's winner Rhoscolyn (5-1) was a length back in third with Persuasion (33-1) a further two-and-a-quarter lengths further adrift in fourth.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Minnie Hauk lands the Betfred Oaks at Epsom
Minnie Hauk (9-2) won a thrilling battle with stable-mate Whirl (15-2) to give Aidan O'Brien an 11th victory in the Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday afternoon. Minnie Hauk – an impressive winner of the Listed Cheshire Oaks at last month's Boodles Chester May Festival – just got the better of her stable-mate in a thrilling battle to the line, scoring by a neck under stable jockey Ryan Moore with Godolphin's 1,000 Guineas heroine and 11-10 favourite Desert Flower four lengths back in third. Moore had the choice of O'Brien's three challengers in the Fillies' Classic – with Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Giselle, who eventually came home fifth, also entered. But he passed over her and the Musidora Stakes winner Whirl for the improving daughter of Frankel, Minnie Hauk, who had won for a second time in three career starts on the Roodee last month. Advertisement Under Moore, Minnie Hauk was sat a couple of lengths off the pace set by Whirl and Wayne Lordan. When Whirl kicked for home after the turn around Tattenham Corner, Moore moved Minnie Hauk closer to challenge. The two Ballydoyle fillies quickly went clear of their rivals and in a protracted battle all the way up the home straight, both gave their all but it was just Minnie Hauk who prevailed by a neck. READ MORE: Horse Power: The Lion In Winter to roar back with victory in the Betfred Derby at Epsom READ MORE: Jan Brueghel crowned a winner in the Coronation Cup at Epsom O'Brien is now closing on 19th century trainer Robert Robson's 13 victories in the Epsom Classic as Minnie Hauk followed the likes of his former Oaks scorers including Alexandrova, Minding, Love, Snowfall and his most recent victor Tuesday (2022) into the winner's enclosure. Having won a 30th Group One at the Derby Festival with Jan Brueghel's success in the Coronation Cup earlier in the day, Moore and O'Brien were again the men for the big occasion. Advertisement O'Brien said: 'I'm delighted with her; she's very classy and Ryan gave her a beautiful ride. He loved her the last day (at Chester) and then again today, so she's very exciting. She's obviously learning - she went to Chester and learnt a lot and was still green, and she was always improving from mid-race. What you love about her is that she's a great traveller; she has a lot of class. Ryan felt he was going very easily today on her and usually what that means is that she will be able to step up a couple of grades into even higher-class races. It's lovely for the lads and for everyone to have another filly like that. 'Colin [Keane] was delighted with his filly (Giselle, fifth); he said she's a bit of a baby and a bit weak, so she will improve. Whirl (second) ran a great race; she stays and obviously has a lot of class too. We were going to go forward if no one else wanted to. Ryan was going to go forward, and so was Wayne. Obviously Colin didn't want to go forward; his filly was too keen and we all knew that; he was going to try to get her to relax and see what would happen. I don't think it was too fast a pace. I'm delighted with the way it all went. 'Those Wootton Bassetts (Whirl's sire) – obviously they have speed but they also stay. Obviously she got a mile and a quarter at York by staying and we thought there was a chance she would get the mile and a half, but we weren't sure. Ryan said that he would have been happier going a bit faster in the first half of race, and usually the sign of a very classy filly, so that means she'll be very comfortable standing up against the older horses when the time comes. We'll see. I'm delighted for everyone. It's a big team and everyone plays their part – I'm just the observer, really, and it's the lads who, every year, keep these pedigrees going and make sure we have these horses to be able to work with.' Moore, who was wining a fifth Oaks, said: "She began well and travelled strong early and I just wanted to make sure I was in a position to do what I wanted when I wanted. She just travelled a bit too strong and fell asleep on me then after I asked her to relax. The filly in front is a good filly and kept building the whole way and I just had to ask my filly to go to her and she quickened up very smartly and got there easily. Whirl came back and my filly found a little bit more. I think she'll improve for the experience and as far as three-year-old fillies go she's very good. Advertisement "She'll be (going for the) Irish Oaks/Nassau Stakes, that sort of thing, and we'll go from there. She's a lightly-raced filly and should improve." Moore added: "I rode some exceptional fillies in this race, Love and Minding spring to mind and Snow Fairy as well. She's got a way to go, but she's open to any amount of improvement." Lordan, who rode runner-up Whirl, said: 'I've gone a nice gallop as we felt that she would stay. She was loving it out the front; she kept extending well. Ryan went a good half-length off me. I think both fillies were just coming to the end of their tether and having a bit of a roll around, but I felt we had been well held at the line. I couldn't fault my filly – she ran a stormer. She's a lovely filly and she tries hard. She's very straightforward, very uncomplicated and she shows you everything she has.' Charlie Appleby, trainer of the third-placed Desert Flower, said: 'It just looked like she got a bit unbalanced coming down the hill and hit a bit of a flat spot just at the point you don't want to, but take nothing away from the first two as they just kept galloping. We all think she got it [the trip] and personally I'd like to see her in something like the Yorkshire Oaks, on a nice galloping track. We'll give her a break now. Will just thought she'd be more comfortable on a sounder surface than she got today. She won on slow ground in the Fillies' Mile, but slow ground on a track like this might have been a consideration. Back on a more conventional track will hopefully be more her gig.' Advertisement Keane, who was on board fifth-placed Giselle, said: 'She ran okay. She was a little bit in my hands in the first half then settled as we went on. She feels like a filly who lengthens and gallops rather than quickens, but it was a nice run.' Jockey Jim Crowley said of seventh-placed Elwateen: 'She was disappointing. We were beaten turning in so we can't blame the trip. I had a lovely run round but it just didn't happen.' The David O'Meara-trained Mirsky (6-1) won the Trustatrader Handicap, under Oisin Murphy, by a comfortable length-and-a-quarter from Alpha Circus (8-1) with the winner's stable-mate Julia Augusta (40-1) a further three-quarters-of-a-length back third and Ebt's Guard (9-2) another neck adrift in fourth. The ex-French winner backed up a recent win at Thirsk and could now head to Royal Ascot for the Royal Hunt Cup. Trainer O'Meara said: 'He ran well a few times last year without winning, but we always felt he had something like this in him. It maybe took us a while to get the hang of him, but he's won his last two now, which is great. The Hunt Cup would be a possibility now. Julia Augusta ran well in third. She'd run well here last year in the Diomed but hadn't run before this season. Bopedro just found it a bit sharp here but was staying on in fifth, so they all ran well.' Winning rider Murphy added: 'That was good placing by David, who really fancied him today. I've ridden plenty of nice winners for him here and it was nice of him to put me up again.'
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Horse Power: The Lion In Winter to roar back with victory in the Betfred Derby at Epsom
It could be déjà vu for trainer Aidan O'Brien as THE LION IN WINTER can roar back in summer and provide him with a record-extending 11th victory in the Betfred Derby (In Honour Of His Highness Aga Khan IV) (No Geldings) (3.35pm) at Epsom on Saturday afternoon. Advertisement For the third year in a row the Ballydoyle maestro's winter ante-post Derby favourite is on a retrieval mission having – like Auguste Rodin in 2024 and City Of Troy 12 months ago – flopped on his seasonal return heading into the Colts' Classic. The Lion In Winter lost his unbeaten tag on just his third start when only sixth to the reopposing Pride Of Arras, trained by Ralph Beckett, in the Dante Stakes at York last month. Unlike those two stars – who went on to land the Colts' Classic at Epsom despite 2,000 Guineas disappointment – though, The Lion In Winter will not have the assistance of Ryan Moore. He will be riding stable-mate and potential favourite Delacroix after the Dubawi colt made a much smoother return to action with victories in two of the recognised trials for the Derby – the Group Three Ballysax Stakes at the end of March and the Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes, formerly the Derrinstown, last month – both of which are run at Leopardstown in Ireland. READ MORE: Minnie Hauk lands the Betfred Oaks at Epsom READ MORE: Jan Brueghel crowned a winner in the Coronation Cup at Epsom Advertisement He is sure to go close to victory – along with another Coolmore runner Lambourn, who won one of the other trials – the Chester Vase on the Roodee – but he may have to play second fiddle to his stable-mate The Lion In Winter. The son of the legendary Sea The Stars – who won the Derby in 2009 – has had injury issues since two stunning successes as a juvenile. Following a Curragh maiden win and then an even better victory in the Group Three Acomb Stakes – when he had subsequent 2,000 Guineas winner, Charlie Appleby's Ruling Court, who is vying for favouritism for a second Classic success, back in third – The Lion In Winter was off the track for the rest of the season and was late coming to hand this year. He didn't settle in the preliminaries and early in the race in the Dante and was also stopped when making a late move giving him little chance of making a winning return behind the impressive Pride Of Arras. But he is sure to come on plenty for that return and we have seen so many of O'Brien's leading lights improving tremendously after their first run of the season. The Lion In Winter will have to settle better at Epsom, but if he does, he is arguably the horse with the most talent and potential in what is a high-quality 19-strong field for the premier Classic. Under Colin Keane, he can improve for his return and despite being drawn widest in stall 19 he can get some of the lustre back of his juvenile runs. A case can be made for many in the field including the aforementioned Delacroix, Lambourn, Ruling Court, Pride Of Arras and the last-named's stable-mate Stanhope Gardens. But a chance is taken that The Lion In Winter can roar again and resume his progress with Derby success. Advertisement James Tate's ROYAL DRESS – set to be ridden by Godolphin jockey and Liverpool FC fan William Buick – can go a couple of places better than 12 months ago and win the Group Three Princess Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored By Oddschecker) (1pm). The five-year-old mare was third in this mile contest 12 months ago when not getting the clearest of passages. She went on to win a Group Three contest at the Curragh and ran some good races in defeat. She was then third of four in the 1m2½f Group Two Middleton Stakes at York on her seasonal return at York last month. With that run under her belt and dropping back to an extended mile, Royal Dress can score again. German trainer Peter Shiergen's GEOGRAPHY – set to be ridden by Christophe Soumillon – can back up her recent Group Three win in Dusseldorf with another in the Group Three Betfred Diomed Stakes (1.35pm). GOLD STAR HERO can take the Betfred 3yo 'Dash' Handicap (2.10pm). Michael Bell's son of Starspangledbanner was unable to land a blow when drawn out wide at Chester's May Festival last month. But on this straighter track, he can be seen to better effect and can land a first win on Turf ahead of chiefly Kevin Ryan's duo Against The Wind and Cape Sovereign. Robert Cowell's speedy MICHAELA'S BOY has a solid chance of victory in the Aston Martin 'Dash' Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (2.45pm). The five-year-old gelding won a couple of times on the all-weather over the winter but is yet to score on two starts back on Turf this season. He was fourth over course and distance behind the reopposing Spartan Arrow in April and third at Goodwood last month. A generally consistent performer, Michaela's Boy may be able to land a first success on Turf since his debut at Windsor back in April 2022. Others in with a chance in the typically-competitive Dash are Mick Appleby's seven-year-old Blind Beggar, the George Baker-trained Desert Cop and Existent from the Stuart Williams' stable. Advertisement Baker's BEAULD AS BRASS saw his winning run come to an end when third at Newbury last month after four successes this season. But he can bounce back to winning ways in the Encore Lifestyle Northern Dancer Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (4.15pm). Andrew Balding's CHARTWELL JOCK – who was third at Ascot last month – can go a couple of places better in the Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Lester Piggott Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (5pm). While in the finale, the JRA Tokyo Trophy Handicap (5.40pm), Richard Fahey's STRIKE RED and the Mick Appleby-trained Intervention can both go well with preference just for the former to return to winning ways on his fourth start of the season. At Musselburgh FIERY LUCY – from the Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning stablemate of Irish trainer Gavin Cromwell – can build on a recent second at Leopardstown to win the Listed Edinburgh Gin Queen Of Scots British EBF Fillies' Stakes (3.10pm). Others who can triumph in Scotland are Ed Bethell's course and distance winner I AM ME in the Edinburgh Cup Handicap (3.50pm); another with course and distance form in the past, the Amanda Perrett-trained SIXCOR, in the Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb And Ginger Handicap (1.20pm); John and Sean Quinn's Power Of Gold in the Edinburgh Gin Classic Handicap (1.55pm); and ARRANMORE, from the Micky Hammond stable, in the finale, the Edinburgh Gin Cannonball Handicap (4.55pm). Advertisement At Doncaster Bryan Smart's last-time-out winner CASTAN can go in again in the the Daniel Jones Handicap (5.45pm); and the Mick Appleby-trained BILLYJOH can score in the Happy Birthday Nigel Kirby Handicap (7.15pm). Wright Ones EPSOM 1pm Royal Dress 1.35pm Geography 2.10pm Gold Star Hero 2.45pm Michaela's Boy 3.30pm 1 The Lion In Winter (NAP) 2 Delacroix 3 Lambourn 4.15pm Beauld As Brass 5pm Chartwell Jock 5.40pm Strike Red MUSSELBURGH 1.20pm Sixcor 1.55pm Power Of Gold 2.30pm Alaskan Light 3.10pm Fiery Lucy 3.50pm I Am Me 4.25pm Reservardo 4.55pm Arranmore DONCASTER 4pm Kodi Red 4.35pm Calafrio 5.10pm Light The Night Up 5.45pm Castan 6.15pm Pole Star 6.45pm Brave Bob 7.15pm Billyjoh 7.50pm Churchella Advertisement WORCESTER 1.50pm Bruce Gobbler 2.25pm Ile De Jersey 3.05pm Leading Force 3.45pm Son Of Tyran 4.20pm Dynamite Defense 4.50pm Three Figs 5.25pm Sporty Jim 5.55pm Leave Her To Me LINGFIELD 5.30pm Synergism 6.07pm Special Ghaiyyath 6.37pm Salamanca City 7.07pm Momaer 7.40pm Fulford Cross 8.10pm Blue Collar Lad 8.40pm Queen Of Good News CHEPSTOW 5.30pm Moe's Legacy 6pm Sinj 6.30pm Indian Spirit 7pm Redredrobin 7.30pm Alice's Impact 8pm King of The Dance 8.30pm Vape 9pm Red Derek HEXHAM 4.05pm Present Fair 4.40pm Grand Voyage 5.15pm Sean Og 5.50pm Mancero 6.20pm Mack The Man 6.50pm Our Sam SUNDAY'S NAP: Alcazan (Goodwood 5.20pm)
