(Reuters) – Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien’s Love has been listed as an 11/8 favourite with Unibet for the Investec Oaks, which will take place at Epsom Downs on July 4.
Love, who won the 1000 Guineas in June, is bidding to become the first filly since the O’Brien-trained Minding in 2016 to complete the 1000 Guineas-Oaks double.
O’Brien, the most successful current trainer at the Oaks with seven victories, has three other fillies in the mix – Irish 1,000 Guineas champion Peaceful, and Ennistymon and Passion who placed second and third respectively at the Ribblesdale Stakes.
Frankly Darling, trained by John Gosden and ridden by Frankie Dettori, is the second favourite at 9/4, and will look to follow up an impressive victory at the Ribblesdale Stakes with a triumph at Epsom.
Tiempo Vuela will be the second entry from the Gosden stable.
Roger Varian will also field two entrants – Gold Wand, daughter of 2015 Investec Derby winner Golden Horn, and Queen Daenerys, runner-up at the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket in June.
The 11-strong field will be completed by Bharani Star (Peter Chapple-Hyam), Dubai Love (Saeed bin Suroor) and Oriental Mystique (David Simcock).
O’Brien also has seven of the 17 entries at the Investec Derby, which will take place on the same day as the Oaks for the first time in the history of the event.
(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
