Oaks day at Epsom

The Derby meeting starts today at Epsom with two Group One races on the card, including the OAKS, the most important race of the season for 3yo fillies at 17.05 CET. Although there are only 10 runners, this looks very open, with question marks over several of the runners. This applies in particular to the likely favourite Sariska (Michael Bell/ Jamie Spencer), an easy winner of the main trial, the Musidora Stakes at York. However that race looked substandard this year, and on breeding the daughter of Pivotal is not certain to stay the trip. The same applies to Midday (Henry Cecil/ Tom Queally), who won the Lingfield Oaks Trial in good style, but is by the miler Oasis Dream. Even more doubts surround Rainbow View (John Gosden/ Jimmy Fortune), easily the best of these on 2yo form, but who has never raced beyond a mile and was well-beaten at odds-on in the 1,000 Guineas. The fast ground was blamed for that that, but it could well be equally fast this time.

There are no stamina doubts about the two Irish fillies Oh Goodness Me (Jim Bolger/ Kevin Manning) and Perfect Truth (Aidan O´Brien/ Johnny Murtagh), both daughters of Galileo, but it is not certain that they are good enough. Perfect Truth only just scrambled home last time at Chester from Phillipina (Sir Michael Stoute/ Ryan Moore), the only maiden in today´s field, who has been well backed this week. We do not believe that a maiden can win this, and our very tentative suggestion is Midday, whose trainer has won this race 8 times already.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Confront - General Eliott - Lovelace
2. Race: Philario - Plum Pudding - Bencoolen
3. Race: Youmzain - Look Here - Ask
4. Race: Lake Poet - Charm School - Seeking The Buck
5. Race: Sariska - Rainbow View - Midday
6. Race: Nasri - Mastoora - Croisultan
7. Race: All About You - Shamwari Lodge - Satwa Laird