Ante-post favourite Rhododendron heads 16 acceptors for the premier fillies' Classic, the Group One Investec Oaks (4.30pm), at Epsom Downs on the first day of the Investec Derby Festival, Investec Ladies' Day, Friday, June 2.
Rhododendron, the 7/4 market leader with Unibet, official betting partner of Investec Derby Festival, has been favourite for the mile and a half Classic, which has prize money of £500,000, since running away with the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket in October.
The three-year-old Galileo filly was a warm order for the mile QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket earlier this month but had to settle for second behind stablemate Winter after a troubled passage.
Rhododendron's trainer Aidan O'Brien is planning to run Listed Cheshire Oaks runner-up Alluringly (12/1 with Unibet) as well and has also left in Rain Goddess (25/1), Hydrangea (25/1), Asking (50/1) and Pocketfullofdreams (50/1) as he seeks a remarkable seventh victory in the race.
O'Brien's son Joseph, who rode two winners in both the Investec Derby and Investec Coronation Cup, has left in last season's G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Intricately (33/1), who has been declared for the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh tomorrow.
The home challenge is led by the John Gosden-trained pair of Enable (7/2) and Coronet (9/1). Enable had a length and three quarters in hand over Alluringly at Chester, while fellow Listed scorer Coronet was a fast-finishing third in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary at Deauville on May 14.
Horseplay (14/1, Andrew Balding) and Isabel De Urbina (16/1, Ralph Beckett), first and second in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes over 10 furlongs at Newmarket on May 7, also go forward.
That was only Isabel Del Urbina's second run and the Lope De Vega filly was staying on well at the end, getting within three quarters of a length of Horseplay, suggesting that the step up to 12 furlongs on Friday will suit.
The filly, owned and bred by Merriebelle Irish Farm Limited, had one outing as a two-year-old and gained a last-gasp neck victory in a Ffos Las maiden over seven and a half furlongs on September 20 when favourite.
Ralph Beckett is no stranger to causing an upset in the Investec Oaks. His 2008 winner Look Here was a 33/1 outsider and Talent, who led home more fancied stable companion Secret Gesture in a memorable one-two for the yard in 2013, was a 20/1 chance.
Beckett said: "I have left Isabel De Urbina in the Investec Oaks and we will make a decision early next week.
"She galloped on Tuesday and has trained well since Newmarket, although it is shaping up to be the strongest Oaks since Sariska beat Midday (2009).
"The one thing she has in common with Look Here and Talent is that she will be an outsider as well."
There is an added dimension to the race this year thanks to US-trained challenger Daddys Little Darling (20/1, Kenny McPeek). A G2 scorer over a mile at Churchill Downs last year, the Scat Daddy filly has finished second in two G1 contests on dirt so far in 2017, latterly behind Abel Tasman in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 5.
She landed at Stansted on Thursday and is staying at Jim Boyle's yard at Epsom so as to be close to the racecourse.
The confirmations also include the Godolphin pair of Prix Saint-Alary heroine Sobetsu (8/1, Charlie Appleby), who is due to return to France for the Prix de Diane on June 18, and G3 scorer Bean Feasa (25/1, Jim Bolger IRE).
Impressive Newbury Listed scorer Natavia (10/1, Roger Charlton) and Vintage Folly (40/1, Hugo Palmer), runner-up in the G3 Musidora Stakes at York on May 17, complete the acceptors.
Investec Oaks - Unibet prices:
7/4 Rhododendron; 7/2 Enable; 8/1 Sobetsu; 9/1 Coronet; 10/1 Natavia; 12/1 Alluringly; 14/1 Horseplay; 16/1 Isabel De Urbina; 20/1 Daddys Lil Darling; 25/1 Bean Feasa, Hydrangea, Rain Goddess; 33/1 Intricately; 40/1 Vintage Folly; 50/1 Asking, Pocketfullofdreams
Each way 1/4 odds, 1-2-3 - No Runner, No Bet
