Sundrop heads 89 Vodafone Oaks entries

The 2004 Vodafone Oaks has attracted a very strong entry of 89, up five on last year, revealed yesterday for the Epsom Downs fillies´ classic run on Friday, June 4th

» Click here for entries

Godolphin has won the Vodafone Oaks on three occasions with Balanchine in 1994, Moonshell the following season and Kazzia in 2002. The Maktoum family´s stable has nine entries bidding to add to that record including Sundrop, who followed a maiden win at Lingfield in September with an excellent second to Red Bloom in the Group 1 Meon Valley Stud Fillies´ Mile at Ascot later that month. The Godolphin entry is completed by the Fillies´ Mile third Punctilious, Al Sifaat, Dawn Surprise, Dunloskin, Opera Comique, Possession, Tizdubai and Zosima.

Red Bloom, winner of two of her three races last season, is one of five entries for Sir Michael Stoute, who has trained the winner of the Vodafone Oaks twice (Fair Salinia in 1978 and Unite in 1987) and the others are the unbeaten Top Romance, who won a Newmarket Listed race after opening her account at Yarmouth, Liberty, Poise and Quiff.

Aidan O´Brien, who was victorious in the Vodafone Oaks with Shahtoush in 1998 and Imagine three seasons ago, has 13 representatives including Necklace, who justified favouritism in last season´s Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes on August 31 when taking the lead 100 yards out to deny Red Feather by a length.

Other Ballydoyle hopefuls include All Too Beautiful, an unraced full-sister to 2001 Vodafone Derby hero Galileo, Baraka, who was sent off odds-on favourite on her only start in a fillies´ event at the Curragh in September when ninth to the John Oxx-trained Treasure The Lady, and Because, an unraced sister to Quarter Moon and Yesterday, who have finished second in the last two runnings of the Vodafone Oaks. Agenda, Bywayofthestars, Follow, Kisses For Me, Last Love, Mi Amore, Oh So Precious, Queen, Royal Tigress and Tu Eres complete O´Brien´s powerful squad.

The John Dunlop-trained Hathrah was impressive when winning a Newmarket maiden by eight lengths from Desert Daisy in early August. She then finished runner-up to Kinnaird in the Betdaq May Hill Stakes at Doncaster the following month and filled the same position behind Secret Charm in a Listed event at Newbury in October. Bred to appreciate middle distances, it would not be surprising to see Hathrah turn around the form this term.

Well Known, trained by Roger Charlton, was heavily backed when a length runner-up to the well-touted Park Accord in a Kempton fillies´ conditions event on her only start in September. Another to have only seen a racecourse once is the Michael Jarvis-trained New Morning. A full-sister to Islington, last year´s Breeders´ Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine, she could only manage fourth in a maiden fillies´ event at Ayr in October. However, her handler was unperturbed, pointing out that none of the family won as two-year-olds.

The international flavour of this classic is enhanced by the presence of six French-trained entries - Australie, Bradamante, Cattiva Generosa, all with Richard Gibson, the Criquette Head-Maarek-trained Esneh, the Alain De Royer Dupre-trained Khalilia and Group 3 scorer Green Swallow, trained by Phillipe Demercastel.