The £425,000 Group One Investec Oaks (In Memory of Sir Henry Cecil) takes place on day one of the Investec Derby Festival, Friday, June 6 and the fillies' Classic has 24 contenders going forward.
Taghrooda (John Gosden, 7/4 with Coral), a daughter of Sea The Stars, jumped to the head of the betting with a stunning six-length victory over Jordan Princess (Luca Cumani, 25/1) in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket on May 4.
Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, owner of Taghrooda, has another leading contender in Tarfasha (Dermot Weld, 6/1), who was the impressive winner of the Group Three Blue Wind Stakes at Naas on May 14.
Lightning Thunder (Olly Stevens, 14/1) and Ihtimal (Saeed bin Suroor, 7/1) have both shown Classic form already this season, having finished second and third respectively in the mile QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 4.
It is 21 years since a French-trained filly won the Investec Oaks but there is a leading contender from the other side of the Channel this year in Shamkala (Alain de Royer-Dupre, 6/1), who is unbeaten in three starts. She was last seen out when recording a facile victory in a Group Three contest at Saint-Cloud on May 14. France could also be represented by the Mikel Delzangles-trained pair of Lady Dragon and Sinnamary (16/1), who was fifth behind Shamkala at Saint-Cloud.
Madame Chiang (David Simcock, 14/1) is another unbeaten contender and entered the Investec Oaks picture when taking the Group Three Musidora Stakes at York on May 14.
Cambridge (Charlie Hills, 25/1), owned by Khalid Abdullah, was considered one of the leading contenders for the Investec Oaks following an eye-catching debut success at Nottingham in October.
However, the daughter of Rail Link disappointed when seventh on her seasonal return in the Musidora Stakes, beaten 10 and a half lengths.
Lord Grimthorpe commented: "We have found nothing untoward after Cambridge's run at York. It was a bit disappointing, there is no question about that, as we had hoped and expected better.
"Whatever the ground was, she should have run better. I would say the Investec Oaks would be a tough ask, but we still wanted to give her that option."
Aidan O'Brien still has six fillies in the Investec Oaks including Bracelet (20/1), who disappointed when favourite for the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, Blue Wind Stakes third Dazzling, Group Three 1,000 Guineas Trial runner-up Palace (16/1), Group One-placed Tapestry and Wonderfully, who was a close ninth in the French 1,000 Guineas after encountering trouble in running.
Trainer Ralph Beckett and owner Julian Richmond-Watson took the 2008 Investec Oaks with Look Here and have another contender this time around in Regardez, who finished third in the Musidora Stakes.
The next acceptance stage for the 12-furlong Investec Oaks is the six-day confirmations on Saturday, May 31, when there is also a £30,000 supplementary entry stage.
Investec Oaks - Coral bet:
7/4 Taghrooda, 6/1 Shamkala, Tarfasha, 7/1 Ihtimal, 14/1 Lightning Thunder, Madame Chiang, 16/1 Palace, Sinnamary, Volume, 20/1 Bracelet, Marvellous, 25/1 Amazing Maria, Cambridge, Jordan Princess, Tapestry, 33/1 Bar
