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| Staff Writer |
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Trainer Ralph Beckett is gearing up for Friday's Betfred Oaks at Epsom with four strong contenders, including Forest Fairy, Seaward, You Got To Me, and Treasure. With his eyes set on a third victory in the race. Additionally, royal connections will be on display as the homebred filly Treasure, owned by the King and Queen, takes to the track. The decision to enter Treasure, along with the other three runners, at Epsom comes after careful consideration and could prove to be a strategic move. As the anticipation builds for the race, all eyes are on the runners and riders set to compete in this prestigious event.
Initially considered for the Ribblesdale Stakes, Treasure will now join her stablemates at Epsom.
“We’ve done quite well in the race before, but it’s a long time since I won it last with Talent, and since then nobody but Aidan O’Brien and the Gosdens has won,” he said.
“We’ve had plenty of tries since, but this feels like our best chance. I think the market has them about right in terms of preference, although it got it wrong in 2013 (shorter priced stablemate Secret Gesture finished second).
“I may have had three runners in a race a few times, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never had four before. Let’s hope one of them is competitive!”
Aidan O’Brien, who already has 10 Oaks wins on his CV and has struck gold six times in the last decade, is this year doubly represented, with Ylang Ylang and Rubies Are Red .
Ylang Ylang and Rubies Are Red are contenders, while Ezeliya has also won two of her three starts.
The trainer has had success at Epsom in the past. Other notable horses in the race are Dance Sequence, Making Dreams, Secret Satire, and War Chimes.
He said, “I’ve had 24 winners of English and Irish Classics, but Blue Wind was the first and so that was a very special day for me. She was a very good filly who went on to win the Irish Oaks and ended the season the champion filly of Europe.
“I’ve only had a few runners at Epsom, but it’s been lucky for me. I also won the Derby with Harzand and we were second in the Oaks with Tarfasha.”
Dance Sequence, Making Dreams, Musidora winner Secret Satire and War Chimes complete the line-up.
Racegoers at Epsom on Friday will witness a royal runner, Treasure, competing in the Betfred Oaks.
The last horse to win both the Oaks and the St Leger in the same year was Dunfermline in 1977, during the Silver Jubilee. The late Queen achieved five Classic victories, with Carrrozza being her first Oaks winner in 1957.
Last year, the current King and Queen celebrated a successful Flat season, with Desert Hero triumphing at Royal Ascot and finishing third in the St Leger. Treasure, a homebred daughter of Mastercraftsman, won her racecourse debut at Nottingham and finished fourth in the Lingfield Oaks Trial.
At first, Trainer Ralph Beckett planned to hold off on racing Treasure until the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot. However, he had a change of heart and decided to enter her along with You Got To Me, Forest Fairy, and Seaward from the Cheshire Oaks. This quartet gives Beckett a strong lineup as he aims for his third victory in the race. “We had been thinking Treasure was more a filly for Royal Ascot this time last week, but with the way the ground is now at Epsom, we decided to have a go at the Oaks as the ground should be in her favour,” said the Kimpton Downs handler.
“I have been very pleased with her progress since her reappearance at Lingfield. The King and Queen are such enthusiastic owners and it is great to be training such a nice filly for them who is running in a Classic.”
John Warren, racing adviser for the King and Queen, is excited by the prospect of seeing the famous colours on show in the Oaks once more.
On the reasoning behind the decision to run at Epsom, he told Nick Luck’s Daily Podcast: “I think it was the piece of work she did on Saturday. Ralph had never discounted her completely out of the Oaks because luckily there is a decent gap between the Oaks and the Ribblesdale this year.
“It’s three weeks or 20 days or whatever, so the plan was in principle to go there (Royal Ascot), but with Ralph having such a good form line with the lovely fillies that he has in his yard at the moment, he was sort of getting the impression that she was just becoming a late burn as it were.
“She’s a big, rangy filly, who did well as a 2YO to win on her only start in very deep ground. She didn’t do it overly impressively, but did win well enough. "
Warren believes Treasure will benefit from the underfoot conditions and is hopeful about the weather forecast. He expressed concerns about her stamina for the mile and a half race, given her breeding. Warren also mentioned that Treasure needed the previous race and emphasized the uncertainty about her being a genuine stayer.