Emily Upjohn and Nashwa give John Gosden a formidable hand in his bid for a fourth victory in the Cazoo Oaks at Epsom on Friday.
It took the Clarehaven handler until 2014 to break his duck in the fillies' Classic, with subsequent King George scorer Taghrooda striking gold for the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.
Three years later it was the turn of the remarkable Enable, who came through a thunderstorm to register the first of her 11 Group One wins, while Anapurna made it a hat-trick in 2019.
The red-hot favourite for this year’s renewal is Emily Upjohn, who was a dominant winner of the Musidora Stakes at York and is all the rage to stretch her unbeaten record to four on the Surrey Downs.
"Emily Upjohn is not a filly who raced a lot at two as she only had the one run at Wolverhampton, but you can see by the size of the frame of her why we were patient," said Gosden, who now trains in partnership with son Thady.
"I would hope she has got the speed for the Oaks as she has shown an ability to quicken. The other day in the Musidora she quickened well there at York.
"She did it well at Wolverhampton and at Sandown she sat very handy, then lengthened off the front. She has a change of gear."
While stopping short of comparing Emily Upjohn to his dual Arc heroine Enable, Gosden feels the Sea The Stars filly is at least on a par with his first Oaks winner.
He added: "I think she is in the Taghrooda league. It would be silly to start talking about Enable as that would be completely over the top.
"It is her ability to travel and quicken over a trip that reminds me of Taghrooda."
Emily Upjohn will be ridden by Frankie Dettori, who sealed his sixth Oaks success aboard the brilliant Snowfall 12 months ago and has high hopes of adding to his tally.
"I’ve ridden some great fillies in the Oaks and have been lucky enough to win three of the last five. It’s been a very good race for me and I ride a very worthy favourite in Emily Upjohn this time," Dettori told Sporting Index.
"There’s been a fair bit of rain around, and even though it was quite slow at York I would prefer to have her on good ground. One thing I can’t control is the weather, so I won’t stress myself and we’ll just have to hope she handles it if it does get soft.
"She’s won three out of three and took her trial in great style, so she’s entitled to be favourite."
What a performance! 👏
— York Racecourse (@yorkracecourse) May 11, 2022
The exciting EMILY UPJOHN maintains her unbeaten record with a facile victory in the Group 3 @Tattersalls1766 Musidora Stakes, as she breezes clear under @FrankieDettori to score for John and @thadygosden 🏆 pic.twitter.com/afach5K733
One of the biggest threats to Emily Upjohn appears to be fellow Clarehaven Stables inmate Nashwa, who has looked every inch a top-class filly in winning at Haydock and Newbury this spring.
The Frankel filly could etch her name into racing history if successful, with her rider Hollie Doyle bidding to become the first woman to ride the winner of a British Classic.
Doyle is quietly confident the step up in trip will not be a problem in this Qipco British Champions Series contest.
She said: "I think she holds a few more of the sire’s genes than the mare’s, which isn’t a bad thing. She has speed and class and gears, like Frankel, but she relaxes and she should stay.
"You don’t know until they try it if they will handle Epsom, but she’s a great mover and she hasn’t given me any feeling that she won’t. She’s a dream ride, with a lovely mind and a great attitude."
Connections of Tuesday also expect her stamina to prove up to the test. The Aidan O'Brien-trained daughter of Galileo is bred to excel in the fillies’ Classic as a full-sister to the brilliant Minding, who won both the 1000 Guineas and the Oaks in 2016.
Tuesday has finished third in the Guineas at Newmarket and second in the Irish Guineas at the Curragh, and steps up to a mile and a half for the first time on Friday.
"She’s in good form. She’s had two nice runs at Newmarket and at the Curragh, she hasn’t done much since," said O’Brien.
"Obviously she hasn’t gone any further than a mile. Her pedigree says she has a chance of getting the trip – she’s a sister to Minding – so hopefully she does."
Dermot Weld wins the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas for a fifth time with the impressive Homeless Songs (11-2). pic.twitter.com/heKJUEIB9e
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) May 22, 2022
Minding is one of nine previous winners of the Oaks for O’Brien – and Tuesday is part of a four-strong team for the master of Ballydoyle this time around.
Concert Hall was just half a length behind Tuesday when third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas less than a fortnight ago and renews rivalry, while Thoughts Of June proved her stamina by repelling Joseph O’Brien’s subsequent Group One winner Above The Curve in the Cheshire Oaks.
The Algarve, who was a well-beaten fourth behind Oaks favourite Emily Upjohn in the Musidora Stakes at York on her latest appearance, completes the quartet.
O’Brien added: "Concert Hall is in good form. She had a nice run at the Curragh in the Guineas and won at Navan before that over a mile and a quarter.
"Thought Of June had a lovely run in her maiden and came forward nicely from that to Chester. She got the trip well and is a filly that will improve as the year goes on. Joseph’s filly won lovely since, so we were delighted with that.
"The Algarve was just ready to start in York and has come forward well since then. We always thought there was a chance she could get the trip."
Although Above The Curve is not in the line-up, O’Brien junior still has an interesting contender in Tranquil Lady, who impressed in the Blue Wind Stakes at Naas last time and will be ridden by Tom Marquand.
"She won nicely at Naas and this was obviously the logical race for her," said the trainer.
"We are hoping she can run well. As long as the ground isn’t too soft, I’m happy enough."
Charlie Appleby, who has already won his first 2000 Guineas, Irish 2,000 Guineas and French 2,000 Guineas this year, relies on With The Moonlight to add the Oaks to his illustrious CV.
The Frankel filly made a successful start to her three-year-old campaign in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket in early May and Appleby is confident of further progress.
"With The Moonlight has definitely come forward since her win at Newmarket and we have been delighted with her preparation," he said on the Godolphin website.
"We are going into the unknown stepping up to a mile and a half, although all the signs so far have indicated that this distance should be within her compass.
"Any more rain wouldn’t be a positive for her chances, but she won’t look out of place in the field and, if she stays, we feel that she is going to be a player."
