Unbeaten Desert Flower heads Oaks field
The Charlie Appleby-trained filly extended her unbeaten record to five with an all-the-way success in last month's 1000 Guineas and she is a short-priced favourite to take the step up to a mile and a half in her stride.
Desert Flower is one of two contenders for Godolphin along with the supplemented Elwateen, who finished a fine fourth in the Guineas for Saeed bin Suroor on what was just her second ever start.
Aidan O'Brien has trained 10 Oaks winners so far and he fields three this time, with Chester Oaks winner Minnie Hauk, Lingfield victor Giselle and Musidora winner Whirl all going for gold.
Qilin Queen and Revoir, first and second in a Newbury Listed contest last time out, renew their rivalry for Ed Walker and Ralph Beckett respectively, while Joseph O'Brien's Wemighttakedlongway and outsider Go Go Boots for John and Thady Gosden complete the line up.
French raider Calandagan leads seven declarations for the Betfred Coronation Cup on the same card.
The four-year-old was narrowly beaten on his seasonal bow in the Sheema Classic at Meydan in April, but is a clear market leader for Francis-Henri Graffard in the Group One heat.
O'Brien saddles two with Jan Brueghel and Continuous, the last two St Leger winners, both lining up.
Marco Botti's Giavellotto was fifth in the Sheema Classic and tries his luck again, with Ancient Wisdom, Bellum Justum and the Beckett-trained You Got To Me, winner of last year's Irish Oaks and now in the Amo Racing silks, the other contenders.
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