Epsom Oaks 2021 Guide

Market leader Santa Barbara is a superbly talented daughter of Camelot, who is a half sister to Iridessa and Group One winner Order Of Australia.

The filly made a huge impression on debut last term at The Curragh when landing an 18 runner event in fine style on good ground.

She was then made favourite for the 1000 Guineas and in the Classic event could only finish a close fourth, doing her best work at the finish.

This would suggest that the extra half mile will suit her perfectly and the quicker the ground the better for this three year old.

Big Player.

Another leading chance for Aidan O'Brien in the race is Snowfall who is having her second start this term having been raced frequently as a two year old and then performing well on seasonal debut.

Having needed her first two runs as a juvenile, she got off the mark at The Curragh at the third time of asking in a Fillies' Maiden.

However, since then she has raced four times between seven furlongs and a mile in decent graded events and has struggled being outclassed.

Stepping up in trip on debut this term brought bring improvement out of her, when winning the Group Three Musidora Stakes at York over 10.5f.

Off the back of that she deserves to be closer to her favourite stablemate in the market and represents big value.

The three year old daughter of Tamyuz looks a very classy individual having four starts to date, winning her first three as a juvenile last term and came back this season with a smart opening run.

She made her debut back in August at Chelmsford over a mile and was a smart winner of the event, backing that up next time out on her turf debut at Beverley in a Fillies' Novice Stakes.

On her final run as a juvenile she landed a hat-trick of wins when taking the Listed Montrose Fillies' Stakes on heavy ground, showing she can win in all types of ground and conditions.

Back for her three year old campaign she made her seasonal bow at Chester in the Listed Cheshire Oaks over 1m 3 1/2f and revelled in the new trip to just be narrowly beaten by Dubai Fountain.

What was impressive was the way she was staying on near the finish, with the winner just getting the early run round the bend at Chester.

She is certain to come on for that run and at 8/1, being proven on all ground, she looks a solid each way player for the inform Roger Varian.

The daughter of Sea The Stars has been seen thrice to date, finishing second on debut over a mile at Newcastle in October and when stepped up in trip a month later got off the mark in taking style.

The step up to 1m2f was the making of this horse as she dominated a decent field by nine lengths, but on her turf debut she was slightly disappointing.

Teona drifted in the betting before the off in the Group Three Musidora and having ran green early on did not have enough in the finish to challenge the winner.

She has to reverse the form with Snowfall and although she will come on for that run and still holds bundles of ability, she needs to settle better to have any chance.

Divinely represents Aidan O’Brien in the race, who has landed this Group One eight times during his career and this filly is a lively each way player.

She’s one of the most experienced runner in the race with five outings under her belt as a 2yo and boasts group winning form having won the Flame of Tara Stakes (Group 3, 8f) in heavy conditions last August. 

The filly stepped up in trip to 12f on her seasonal debut this term and finished a fair fourth in the Lingfield Oaks Trial, with many of the runners in this race featuring in that event.

She is a representative of Galileo, the leading sire in the UK for the past 11 years and record holder for being the most successful source of Group One winners in thoroughbred history, giving her big expectations here. 

Each way player.

The Jane Chapple-Hyam trained Saffron Beach is a very exciting entry in the event having never ran over further than a mile, with her handler expecting her to get the extra half a mile.

The daughter of New Bay made her debut in September last year when winning a decent 15 runner maiden at Newmarket over seven furlongs and then on her final start last term she made it back to back wins in the Group Three Sharp Stakes.

Back this season, she finished a bold second behind Sacred in the Nell Gwyn Stakes and improved massively for that run to then go extremely close in the 1000 Guineas.

Off the back of that run it suggests she will get 1m2f, but there are stamina questions and that is a big negative around the testing Epsom track.

Consistent performer but has it all to do at this trip.

Mark Johnston's filly was a bright juvenile running frequently to a high standard, winning her first two races in lesser company and then running well in some good events.

She was seen finishing second in the Group Two May Hill Stakes at Doncaster on her penultimate two year old start and then backed that up when a close fourth in the Group One Fillies' Mile Stakes.

Dubai Fountain enhanced the form of that race on her seasonal debut when landing the Listed Cheshire Oaks on her first try at that trip.

She kicked for home 2f out and stayed on strong to see off rival Zeyaadah and that makes her an each way player in this.

Mystery Angel for George Boughey is one of the most experienced horses in the field being raced frequently as a juvenile and then also having four runs this year as a three year old.

She won two of her first three starts, getting off the mark on her second start at Wolverhampton and then at Newmarket on her first turf outing.

The filly was then stepped up to Group Three company over 10f and finished a fair third of eight, but after that was dropped to a mile for her last two runs and she finished second in both.

Back as a three year old she finished second on seasonal debut at Wolverhampton and then went over to France for a Listed event over 1m2f and was again runner up.

Up to 10.5 furlongs back at Saint Cloud, the heavy ground did not help her case and she could only finish fifth in another Listed event

She was last seen back on quick ground giving a career best performance when winning the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes over 1m2f.

The filly was last seen finishing fourth in the Musidora Stakes at York behind Teona and Snowfall and she will need to reverse that form, but the quicker the ground the better for this horse and her trainer has not done much wrong this term.

The daughter of Lemon Drop Kid has been seen thrice to date, getting off the mark over a mile in February at Newcastle and then in April finished a good fourth behind Noon Star at Wetherby.

That race looks to be a strong affair and she was unlucky finishing strongly into fourth that day coming from the worse position and it was over a shorter trip.

She showed the form of that race was strong when taking out the Listed Oaks Trial at Lingfield in May, showing her staying credentials.

She is a half sister to a horse that finished third in the Melbourne Cup, which means her pedigree suggests that it wasn't a fluke that she enjoyed the step up in trip last time out, but she may need soft to be at her best.

Interesting.

The filly for Aidan O'Brien has been seen five times during her career, making her debut at The Curragh over seven furlongs and looking like needing the run.

The three year old then went in a Maiden and finished a better third before finally getting off the mark when last seen as a juvenile in October over a mile at Leopardstown.

Willow was set for big things this season having been working well at home, but on both starts this terms has underperformed, last time when only third of seven in the Group Three Blue Wind Stakes.

She looks opposable on her form to date, but may come on for the extra trip.

Ocean Road represents trainer Hugo Palmer who is searching for his first win in the Oaks. 

The filly is stepped up to 12f for the first time her career last time out when a fair third in the Listed Oaks Trial at Lingfield and with it being her first appearance of the season on the back of a 5 month break, it looked respectable

She was second behind subsequent, follow-up winner Noon Star on debut, before asserting her dominance in a fillies novice stakes at Lingfield (8f) in an impressive display by which she made her win look very easy. 

She has a lot of scope for improvement at the middle distances being out of Australia but has it all to prove on her first try at Group One level.

Trainer Roger Varian has his yard in great order currently and will want to continue his great run of form here with his Kingman filly Save A Forest. 

She was off the mark at the third time of asking in a maiden fillies stakes race at Wolverhampton (9.5f), running on well to win by an eventual 3 1/2 lengths.

She followed up on that win last time out at Windsor in a Class 4 handicap (10f), again running on well to lead in the final 100 yards. 

She’s a sister to the useful Father Of Jazz who finished third in the Winter Derby (10f), and off the back of her second last time out in the Listed Oaks Trial at Lingfield she could be a lively outsider.

The final runner for O'Brien in the race is the 50/1 outsider La Joconde, who either looks to be making up the numbers who will be the pace setter.

The filly is still yet to break her maiden on her six starts to date, albeit knocking on the door in the majority of them, placing on three occasions.

She was last seen finishing a fair way back in fourth in the Listed Cheshire Oaks at Chester, behind the likes of Dubai Fountain and Zeyaadah and on that run will not be involved.

The Martyn Meade trained Technique was assertive when making a winning debut at Wolverhampton on the all weather (9.5f) in January but has since found things slightly tougher.

She followed up by taking on the boys in the Blue Riband trial at Epsom, running a big race and just missing out by an eventual head in the listed 10f contest. 

Last time out she went into the Oaks Trial Fillies' Stakes over 1m4f and was well beaten in the end not looking to stay the trip aswell as others.

She doesn’t have the most star-studded pedigree on offer here with her dams only win coming on the Fibresand (1m 4f) although she is a daughter of champion two-year-old and Irish 1000 Guineas (8f) winner Mastercraftsman. 

Looks opposable.