O'Brien and Gosden favoured to extend domination of Epsom Oaks

Mark Smith - Friday June 3

For the best part of a decade, Aidan O'Brien and John Gosden have carved up the Epsom Oaks, and it's likely to be a similar story when the classic takes place in the early hours of Saturday morning (eastern Australian time).

John Gosden and his son Thady have the favourite Emily Upjohn and likely second favourite Nashwa.

A daughter of Sea The Stars, Emily Upjohn has won all three starts, most recently a five and a half-length romp in the Group III Musidora Stakes at York.

Emily Upjohn (image Racing Post)

Emily Upjohn is out of the stakes-placed Barathea mare Hidden Brief a sister to Hazarist, who placed in the Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks. Hidden Brief is a three-quarter sister to the dam of Epsom Derby and Irish Derby winner Harzand, who, like Emily Upjohn, is by Sea The Stars.

Frankie Dettori rides Emily Upjohn while Hollie Doyle is on stablemate Nashwa.

A daughter of Frankel, Nashwa came from well back to win the Listed Fillies Trial at Newbury.

Her stakes-winning dam Princess Loulou (Pivotal) finished second in the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet.

Aidan O'Brien has the numbers. Since winning with Shahtoush in 1998, O'Brien has been in the winner's circle nine times, including five of the last seven.

He has four of the eleven acceptors, with the most fancied being Ryan Moore's mount Tuesday.

Advertisement

Tuesday (Galileo) is a half-sister to the  2016 Epsom Oaks heroine Minding and last year's One Thousand Guineas winner Empress Josephine.

The sire of two of the last four Oaks winners, Galileo has Thoughts Of June and Tuesday running for him

Another O'Brien-trained daughter of Galileo that has her admirers is the Moyglare Stud colour-bearer Thoughts Of June. She is coming off a win in the Listed Cheshire Oaks, defeating Above The Curve. At her next start, that daughter of American Pharoah (USA) came out and won the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary.

Aidan O'Brien also has the highly-regarded Dubawi filly Concert Hall, which had little luck at her most recent start when third in the Group 1 Irish Thousand Guineas at the Curragh.

Joseph O'Brien has a contender with last start Group III Blue Wind Stakes winner Tranquil Lady.

The daughter of Australia is a half-sister to Group 1 Cox Plate winner State Of Rest (Starspangledbanner).

Godolphin relies on the Charlie Appleby-trained With The Moonlight, a homebred daughter of Frankel.  

Out of the Group II winning Dubawi mare Sand Vixen, With The Moonlight impressed with a four and three-quarter length romp in the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket. 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Friday October 24
Here is the full list of 60 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
End Of An Era - 2025 G1 Cox Plate
“There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still” - Franklin D Roosevelt.
Good News Week for Geisel Park
Geisel Park’s black-type mare Laced Up Heels is in foal off a maiden cover to Champion Australian Sire Zoustar and an orphan foal has found a new mum.
Sires With Winners - Thursday October 23
Here is the full list of 26 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Magic Millions First Digital Sale - Opportunities Aplenty
Bidding is now open for the first Magic Millions Digital Sale with opportunities across all levels of the market for prospective buyers.
2025 G1 Spring Champion – Pedigree Preview
A lot of attention is paid to the sprinting three year-old division and much less so to the stayers, but with $2million in prizemoney the Group I ATC Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday has attracted a full field of 14 and all of them are on trial at the trip.
A Century of NZB National Yearling Sales Success: Cox Plate
Moonee Valley’s A$6m Group One WS Cox Plate (2040m) is known as the weight-for-age championship of Australasia and has been won by many of Australia and New Zealand’s greatest thoroughbreds.
Winning Return for Blueblood I Am Invincible Filly
Last seen finishing an unlucky fourth in the $1million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic in May, speedy I Am Invincible filly Sisstainable returned from a spell at Moonee Valley on Friday night to score a tenacious win.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
The Rosehill trials on Friday morning featured a couple of juvenile heats and both winners came out of the Widden Stud draft at Magic Millions with one topping the sale at $2.8million and the other selling for a modest $150,000.
Bold Showing Tipped for Yes Yes Yes 2YO
Speed Demon will be given every opportunity to live up to his name when he makes his debut at Ellerslie.