This famous Classic will take place at Epsom on Friday 31st May
We've backed Ylang Ylang at 9/4, and War Chimes at 100/1
Expired
The Oaks at Epsom. (Getty)
The Epsom Derby Festival kicks off on Friday, and it's the fillies' equivalent of the namesake race of the meeting, the Epsom Oaks that headlines the action on day one.
The field for this year's Epsom Oaks is all but finalised. Here's our free guide to this famous Classic.
2024 Epsom Oaks Odds
Name
Odds
Ylang Ylang
2/1
Ezeliya
7/2
Rubies Are Red
4/1
Forest Fairy
8/1
You Got To Me
12/1
Secret Satire
14/1
Bar
16/1
2024 Epsom Oaks Runners
A field of 12 has been confirmed for Friday's main event at Epsom. Aidan O'Brien's team will be led by Ylang Ylang who, on form and ratings, is most definitely the one to beat. O'Brien's filly won the Fillies' Mile at the end of a busy juvenile campaign and ran an excellent trial for the Oaks when fifth in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Dermot Weld will send the exciting Ezeliya over from Ireland, following her impressive win in the Salsabil Stakes. Rubies Are Red will join stablemate Ylang Ylang in the field, following her staying-on effort in the Lingfield Derby Trial.
You Got To Me made all and clung on bravely to win that trial, and she'll be one of three runners for Ralph Beckett. Unbeaten Cheshire Oaks winner, Forest Fairy will also represent the team, with Seaward - third behind Forest Fairy at Chester - and Tresure - third at Lingfield - completing Beckett's quartet.
The form of Secret Satire's Musidora Stakes victory was boosted when Francophone won at Goodwood this weekend and she'll likely help You Got To Me set the pace at Epsom. Noel Meade's Caught U Looking was quickly away in the Salsabil and might have to go forward early from his low draw in stall one. William Buick may have to be handier than he'd have liked on Dance Sequence, having been drawn in the second lowest gate.
With the ground at Epsom likely to be on the soft side of good, Karl Burke will be keen to run Making Dreams, who bolted up on her reappearance in the Prix Penelope at Saint-Cloud. War Chimes claimed a similarly emphatic win in the Prix Isonomy in October and David Menuisier's filly is another who will relish soft under-foot conditions.
2024 Epsom Oaks Tip 1 - Ylang Ylang
When looking into the stats behind recent Epsom Oaks winners, the 1000 Guineas came out as the best trial. Four of the last ten winners had run in that Classic at Newmarket. All four were trained by Aidan O'Brien.
YLANG YLANG (2/1) always looked like she would improve when stepped up to middle-distances, so I was slightly surprised when she won the Fillies' Mile in the autumn. Ryan Moore gave his mount plenty to do on her return to Newmarket last month, but Ylang Ylang finished her race strongly, crossing the line just a length adrift of Elmalka, having found her path to victory blocked on a couple of occasions.
Frankel's progeny have enjoyed plenty of success at Epsom in recent seasons, with Adayar, Anapurna and Soul Sister claiming Classic success. Ylang Ylang's dam secured black-type with a third-place finish in the 12-furlong Chalice Stakes and O'Brien's filly ran out a clear winner on the two occasions that she raced on genuinely soft ground in 2023.
Ryan Moore riding Ylang Ylang (L, dark blue) win The bet365 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket. (Getty)
2024 Epsom Oaks Tip 2 - War Chimes
Behind Ylang Ylang, there's little to separate the other contenders. I really liked Ezeliya's win in the Salsabil and Forest Fairy clearly has plenty of ability, but at their current prices, I'd rather back the favourite with a win-only wager.
If the ground was to come up a little more testing than expected, then I could see one of the outsiders of the party, WAR CHIMES (100/1) running a big race. David Menuisier's filly progressed nicely as a juvenile, winning a maiden at Haydock before recording a five-length romp in the Listed Prix Isonomy on her final two-year-old start.
War Chimes hit the front too early on her reappearance in the Prix Cleopatre in April, and was passed by two closers in the final furlong. Again in the Prix Saint-Alary, Marie Velon asked her mount for an effort fairly early and War Chimes looked a little one-paced when finishing fourth.
Although her sire, Summer Front was at his best over a mile in America, he does seem to breed stamina into his progeny. War Chimes' dam, Chipolata is by an excellent sire of middle-distance horses in Muhatathir and was herself Group One placed in the Belmont Oaks, having gone close in a number of Listed races in France.
David Menuisier's three-year-olds are in much better form now than they were during the early weeks of the season. Another step forward from War Chimes could be enough to get involved on Friday.
Verdict
Ylang Ylang is our best bet in the 2024 Epsom Oaks. We've also backed War Chimes each-way at a massive price.
Best Bet1: Ylang Ylang 2024 Epsom Oaks Tips @2/1 at BoyleSports - 10 Units
Best Bet2: War Chimes E/W 2024 Epsom Oaks Tips @100/1 at bet365 - 5 Units
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