Amelia Earhart heads Oaks field as Precise is taken out Impressive Cheshire Oaks winner Amelia Earhart will spearhead Aidan O’Brien’s search for a 12th win in the Betfred Oaks after the Ballydoyle handler took out Precise at the final declaration stage. O’Brien, who first won the race in 1998 with Shahtoush, has the Chester winner at the head of a three-pronged assault as nine were declared for the second fillies’ Classic of the season. The master of Ballydoyle has won the race 11 times and has also mopped up seven of the last 11 renewals including with Minnie Hauk in last year’s running. Cameo, the winner of the Lingfield Oaks Trial, and Sugar Island will join the Amelia Earhart in Friday’s race and were among four Irish raiders with Joseph O’Brien’s Thundering On – a wide-margin winner of the Salsabil Stakes at Navan last time out – completing the quartet. Ralph Beckett provides three of the home contingent with Wathnan Racing’s A La Prochaine, K Sarra and On Message in a bid to add to his two previous wins in the race with Look Here (2008) and Talent (2013). While Charlie Johnston’s 1000 Guineas third Venetian Lace adds heft to the home defence which also includes John and Thady Gosden’s Musidora winner Legacy Link, set to be ridden by Juddmonte’s retained rider Colin Keane. Amelia Earhart heads the betting after charging to a two-length triumph at Chester last month. Legacy Link and fellow Irish challenger Thundering On are next best in the market. Legacy Link will bid to become the latest Clarehaven filly to carry the Juddmonte colours to success at Epsom after Enable’s Oaks triumph in 2017 and the owners European racing manager Barry Mahon expects the extra distance of the race to be in her favour. He said: “She will have come forward for York and had quite a hard blow after the race. She went down to Epsom and had a little spin around there and John and Thady are very happy with her. “I’d like to think you will see a step forward from York with the trip and in terms of fitness.”
