The Irish Oaks is a coveted Group 1 which sets off at the Curragh this weekend as Aidan O’Brien once again trains the favourite.
This race is contested over 1m4f for three-year-old fillies where €285,000 awaits the winner for which there’s still 50 runners still entered in.
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Port Fairy, trained by Aidan O’Brien, is the clear favourite despite the potentially maxed out field.
She beat Lava Stream in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot and clearly has more to offer going forward.
But there’s a few top fillies who are looking to beat the odds.
O’Brien has won this seven times in the last 18 renewals including a hattrick of wins after his first Oaks winner in 2006.
The Irish trainer also won with Savesthelastdance last year which was jockey Ryan Moore’s third Oaks victory.
There have been some classy winners of this race over the years, including Enable back in 2017.
Top Irish jumps trainer Willie Mullins might have something to say about this year’s Oaks though, with a rare Group 1 runner Lope De Lilas.
Who is another recent purchase from Wathnan Racing who had huge successes at Royal Ascot with an even bigger frivolous scoop of acquisitions over the last couple of months.
Lope De Lilas placed fifth on debut but when upped to 1m2f running for the first time as a three-year-old won by over two lengths at Leopardstown in a maiden fillies contest.
Fallen Angel, the grey filly from Karl Burke’s yard is a great each-way price though, having placed eighth in the 1000 Guineas before winning the Irish 1000 Guineas, both in May.
She’s consistently been at the top and has won four of her six races under rules.
Including beating Soprano by three lengths at Newmarket in the Solera Stakes before winning her first Group 1, the Moyglare Stud Stakes here, so she has a great record here that could make her tough to beat if she’s open to improving over 1m4f.
However, you could do a lot worse than getting 20/1 on Dance Sequence, the once favourite for the 1000 Guineas before she drifted to 13/2 and could only grab ninth on the day at Newmarket.
However, the Dubawi filly trained by Charlie Appleby did bounce back when upped to 1m4f only beaten by the very impressive Ezeliya.
Fillies behind this one in that race are shorter here but she clearly preferred the slight give in the ground and sharpness at Epsom that could see her relish Curragh which is a galloping testing course.
Appleby is yet to win an Irish Oaks though and there may be more chances of place money for this filly.
Her sole run in June came in France in the Group 1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly where she ran into all sorts of trouble and was eventually eased off.
That only makes her price go up for this contest and if she does end up running could be a big price despite her potential going into this season.
As a two-year-old she won both of her races, 104 days apart both at Newmarket with the second the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes on soft ground.
There’s flutters of rain expected throughout this week at the Curragh and that could be one of her advantages going into this race over many fillies who could struggle.
All odds correct at time of writing
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