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Minding heads 61 entries for 2016 Investec Oaks

The 2016 Investec Oaks at Epsom Downs Racecourse has attracted an initial entry of 61, two more than last year.

Minding (purple) win the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes from stable companion Ballydoyle
Minding (purple) win the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes from stable companion Ballydoyle Picture: Pat Healy Photography

For the second year running, the world's oldest (first run 1779) and most famous fillies' Classic has closed in mid-April, as opposed to early March.


Run over the same 12 furlongs as the Investec Derby, the Investec Oaks takes place at Epsom Downs on Friday, June 3, Ladies' Day and the Group One race has a total prize fund of £450,000.

Ireland's champion Flat trainer Aidan O'Brien won the Investec Oaks for the fifth time in 2015 with Qualify and is responsible for 16 entries this year, headed by Minding, 4/1 favourite with Coral, official betting partner of the Investec Derby Festival.

The three-year-old Galileo filly was a dual Group One winner last season, taking the seven-furlong Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh followed by Newmarket's Dubai Fillies' Mile.

Another eye-catching contender from O'Brien's contingent is Ballydoyle (10/1), named after his training yard, who defeated Minding when landing the Group TwoDebutante Stakes before finishing second to the same rival at the Curragh. She ended 2015 by taking the Group One Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp in October.

George Scott, starting his first full season as a trainer, has entered the unbeaten Cajoled. The daughter of High Chaparral made an eye-catching debut in a mile maiden on Polytrack at Kempton Park in December, picking up nicely to win by a length and a half.

Cajoled is owned and bred by the Niarchos family whose colours were carried by 2007 Investec Oaks heroine Light Shift, trained by the late Sir Henry Cecil. Scott spent two years as assistant trainer to Lady Cecil before embarking on his own training career.

Scott, who is based in Newmarket, said: "We have been really happy with Cajoled over the winter and made the decision after she won her maiden that we would wait for the turf.


"It is a bit of a speculative entry off a mark of 73, but she is well-bred and deserves an entry at this stage.


"I was expecting her to run very well at Kempton, although I was concerned that a mile would be a bit on the sharp side for her. For her to win first time up was a really good effort and I think she will be better as she steps up in trip.

"I am going to start her in a little handicap somewhere, hopefully win that and then squeeze in a trial before Epsom if we get that far.

"We are pretty realistic about it because she has got a hell of a long way to go to be in that bracket, but when you train for owner-breeders like the Niarchos family they are in the game to produce horses like her and we would kick ourselves further down the line if she wasn't entered."

Another interesting contender from Newmarket is Beautiful Morning (Luca Cumani, 20/1) who defeated the colts on her debut in the Convivial Maiden at York in August before going on to finish a staying-on fifth behind Minding at Newmarket.

Britain's champion Flat trainer John Gosden landed the 2014 Investec Oaks with star filly Taghrooda and has four entries this time around, headed by So Mi Dar (20/1). By Dubawi out of the top-class Dar Re Mi, she was an eye-catching maiden winner on her only start at Windsor in October.

Ralph Beckett has a tremendous record in the Investec Oaks, having saddled Look Here (2008) and Talent (2013) to success. His quintet of entries includes Andastra (25/1) and Mountain Bell (25/1), who have both scored impressively in maiden company.

There are a total of 21 entries from Ireland. In addition to the battalion from Aidan O'Brien, Jim Bolger has a trio of entries headed by Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Turret Rocks (20/1) and Glamorous Approach (25/1), winner of the Listed Zetland Stakes at Newmarket.

This year sees The Queen celebrate her 90th birthday and she has an Investec Oaks entry in the William Haggas-trained Daphne, who made one appearance at Newbury last season. Her Majesty has won the Classic twice, thanks to Carrozza (1957) and Dunfermline (1977).

There are two entries from France in the Aga Khan's unraced Eneryda (Mikel Delzangles) and The Juliet Rose (Nicholas Clement), a maiden winner at Saint-Cloud in November.

Kenny McPeek supplies a rare US-trained entry with Dothraki Queen. The daughter of Pure Prize has twice been placed in Grade One company at Keeneland and also holds an entry in the opening Classic of the season, the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Please find a full list of the Investec Oaks entries below, with a trainer breakdown.

Investec Oaks - Coral: Official Betting Partner

4 Minding, 10 Ballydoyle, 20 Beautiful Morning, Best In The World, Coolmore, Even Song, So Mi Dar, Turret Rocks, 25 Ajman Princess, Alice Springs, Andastra, Clear Skies, Earring, Glamorous Approach, Mountain Bell, Somehow, Tiptree, 33 Architecture, Beauly, Beautiful Morning, Capricious Cantor, Chastushka, Chinoiseries, Danilovna, Diamonds Pour Moi, First Victory, Golden Reign, Last Tango Inparis, Like A Star, Love Potion, Prefer, Pretty Perfect, Promising Run, September Stars, Siamsaiocht, The Black Princess, Very Dashing, Zaakhir, 40 Bar

There is a scratchings stage for the Investec Oaks on May 17, with six-day confirmation stage on Saturday, May 28. Horses can also be added to the Classic's line-up on May 28 through the £30,000 supplementary entry stage. A maximum of 20 fillies can take part.

Breakdown of entries in the Investec Oaks by trainer (with past successes in the Classic)

16 entries

Aidan O'Brien IRE (1998 Shahtoush, 2001 Imagine, 2006 Alexandrova, 2012 Was, 2015 Qualify) - Alice Springs, Ballydoyle, Best In The World, Californiadreaming, Coolmore, Earring, Etched, Even Song, How High The Moon, Kind Of Magic, Like A Star, Minding, Prefer, Pretty Perfect, Seventh Heaven, Somehow

5 entries

Ralph Beckett (2008 Look Here, 2013 Talent) - Andastra, Diamonds Pour Moi, Girling, Mountain Bell, September Stars

4 entries

John Gosden (2014 Taghrooda) - Aqualis, Chastushka, So Mi Dar, The Black Princess

Roger Varian - Ajman Princess, Dawn Of Hope, Mytimehascome, Nezwaah

3 entries

Jim Bolger IRE (1991 Jet Ski Lady) - Glamorous Approach, Siamsaiocht, Turret Rocks

Luca Cumani - Beautiful Morning, Tiptree, Very Dashing

William Haggas (2011 Dancing Rain) - Daphne, Fadillah, Golden Reign

David Simcock - Adalene, Chinoiseries, Turning The Table

2 entries

Charlie Hills - Beauly, Zaakhir

Saeed bin Suroor (1995 Moonshell, 2002 Kazzia) - First Victory, Promising Run

David Wachman IRE - Clear Skies, Love Potion

1 entry

John Butler - Rayaa

Mick Channon - Harlequeen

Nicolas Clement FR - The Juliet Rose

Mikel Delzangles FR - Eneryda

Ann Duffield - Ninetta

Ed Dunlop (2004 Ouija Board, 2010 Snow Fairy) - Capricious Cantor

David Elsworth - Australian Queen

Mark Johnston - Fireglow

David Lanigan - Danilovna

Kenneth McPeek USA - Dothraki Queen

Hughie Morrison - Last Tango Inparis

Hugo Palmer - Architecture

George Scott - Cajoled

Sir Michael Stoute (1978 Fair Salinia, 1987 Unite) - Queen's Trust


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