Oaks Favourite Desert Flower Features Among Nine Confirmations

[Wandering Eyes]

Following Saturday's confirmation stage, Godolphin's 1,000 Guineas heroine Desert Flower (Night Of Thunder) is one of nine possible runners in Friday's Betfred Oaks at Epsom.

Unbeaten in five career starts, culminating with a comfortable defeat of Flight and Simmering in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, Desert Flower is the sponsor's 7/4 favourite to complete a Classic double at Epsom, a feat last achieved by the Aidan O'Brien-trained Love five years ago.

O'Brien is responsible for three of the remaining nine contenders in Giselle (Frankel), the wide-margin winner of the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial, Minnie Hauk (Frankel), who won the Listed Cheshire Oaks on her most recent start, and the G3 Musidora Stakes scorer Whirl (Wootton Bassett).

Last seen finishing fourth behind Desert Flower when having just her second start in the 1,000 Guineas, the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Elwateen (Dubawi) was supplemented on Friday at a cost of £30,000. She will be the sole representative in the Classic for the Shadwell team who, as expected, have taken their Falakeyah out of the race.

Joseph O'Brien's Wemightakedlongway (Australia) could join the Ballydoyle contingent on the journey from Ireland, having won the G3 Salsabil Stakes at Navan on her most recent outing, while the possible field is completed by the one-two from the Listed Fillies' Trial Stakes at Newbury, Qilin Queen (Pinatubo) and Revoir (Study Of Man), and the Musidora third Go Go Boots (Night Of Thunder).

Meanwhile, eight horses remain in contention for the G1 Betfred Coronation Cup earlier on the card, headed by Francis-Henri Graffard's Calandagan, whose last three starts have seen him fill the runner-up spot in a trio of top-level contests–the Juddmonte International, Champion Stakes and Dubai Sheema Classic.

The son of Gleneagles won't have things all his own way as he tries to gain a deserved first Group 1 success, however, with St Leger hero Jan Brueghel (Frankel), Hong Kong Vase scorer Giavellotto (Mastercraftsman) and Irish Oaks winner You Got To Me (Nathaniel) all featuring among his potential rivals.

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