Cecil Quartet Among 73 Fillies Entered For The Vodafone Oaks The Vodafone Oaks, first run at Epsom Downs in 1779, takes place at the historic Surrey venue on Friday, June 1, and promises plenty after receiving 73 entries.There are 15 Irish-trained fillies entered in the 12-furlong Classic, worth #375,000, alongside one from France.Summary Of The Possible Key ContendersHenry Cecil, the most successful trainer in the modern history of the Vodafone Oaks, could bid for a remarkable eighth victory in the Epsom Classic as he has made four entries.The master of Warren Place has not tasted Classic success since Love Divine captured the Vodafone Oaks in 2000 but his quartet is headed by Passage Of Time, winner of three of her four starts including the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud in France over 10 furlongs in November, in which she beat several well-regarded colts.Light Shift, from the family of Cecil's Group One-winning mare Shiva, landed a mile Newmarket maiden on her third start and looks the sort to progress at three, while the maidens Brisk Breeze and Elounda are also entered.Aidan O'Brien is the trainer with the greatest numerical representation as he has seven fillies engaged, including several with clear Classic pedigrees.The unraced Sadler's Wells filly All My Loving is a sister to Quarter Moon and Yesterday, runners-up in the Vodafone Oaks in 2002 and 2003 respectively, while Cherry Hinton is out of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea and is thus a half-sister to 2001 Vodafone Derby hero Galileo, Group One victor Black Sam Bellamy, and the Vodafone Oaks-placed fillies Melikah and All Too Beautiful.The Ballydoyle trainer has landed the Vodafone Oaks three times, most recently with Alexandrova in 2006, and his contingent also includes Diamond Necklace, a half-sister to 2005 Prix du Jockey-Club winner Shamardal, Rosetta Stone, an unraced sister to St Leger winner Brian Boru, as well as Leopardstown maiden winner Uimhir A Haon, who is a Montjeu half-sister to Group One Coronation Stakes heroine Maids Causeway.Saeed bin Suroor has saddled two Vodafone Oaks winners for Godolphin in Moonshell (1995) and Kazzia (2002), and he has three entries, headed by easy Newmarket maiden winner Measured Tempo who is a half-sister to Prix du Jockey-Club winner Anabaa Blue, from the family of Urban Sea and King's Best.The Godophin trio also includes the unraced Salsa Verdi, by Giant's Causeway out of 1998 1000 Guineas winner and beaten Vodafone Derby favourite Cape Verdi, as well as Midsummer Fun.Jeremy Noseda has entered an interesting trio that includes Group One Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile winner Simply Perfect, alongside the maidens Loulwa and Cut The Cake.Clive Brittain enjoyed Vodafone Oaks success with the exceptional User Friendly in 1992 and he has Darrfonah, runner-up to the brilliant Finsceal Beo in the Group One Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp in October. The veteran handler's trio also includes Listed-placed Guarantia from the family of Needle Gun, Warrsan and Luso.Short Skirt finished third in the 2006 Vodafone Oaks for trainer Sir Michael Stoute and that filly's sister Shorthand could bid to go a couple of places better. Winner of a Nottingham maiden on her first start, Shorthand then went to Newmarket for the Group Two Rockfel Stakes in October when she came home fourth to Finsceal Beo.Stoute's contingent also incorporates the once-raced Dance Of Light and Eternal Path as well as Goffs Fillies Five Hundred third Cliche. Barry Hills has four entries including the Montjeu filly Sues Surprise who was runner-up to Passage Of Time in the Listed Montrose Fillies' Stakes over a mile at Newmarket in October.Hollow Ridge was second to Party in a seven-furlong Newbury Listed contest and is a daughter of Hills' Irish Oaks winner Bolas, while Cumin was third in the Group Three Prestige Stakes, and the Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned Zifaaf is unraced.Eswarah gave Michael Jarvis a taste of Vodafone Oaks success in 2005 and the Newmarket handler has six entered including the once-raced Singspiel fillies Fragrancy and Silkwood - both Polytrack maiden winners - and the Sinndar filly Sunlight, successful on her second start at Lingfield in October.Ed Dunlop took the Classic with Ouija Board in 2004 and his pair consists of Lingfield maiden winners Dalvina and Pairumani Princess, while Jim Bolger, who captured the prize with Jet Ski Lady in 1991 has entered the Galileo filly Luminous One, third to Vodafone Derby hope Anton Chekhov in a Leopardstown Listed contest, and Christina's Letter. Mick Channon saddled Treat to finish runner-up in the Group One Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile. The trainer's quintet also includes Sweet Lilly, winner of the Listed Silver Tankard Stakes at Pontefract on her final start, and also fourth to Simply Perfect in the Group Two May Hill Stakes.John Gosden also has five entries including Thinking Positive, a half-sister to 1998 Vodafone Oaks third Midnight Line, and Set The Scene, a Sadler's Wells filly out of 2002 Irish Oaks winner Margarula.The French-trained entry is the Aga Khan-owned Khazaria, trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre and an unraced half-sister to Group One Grand Prix de Paris winner Khalkevi. The owner also has the John Oxx-trained Timarwa, a daughter of multiple Group One-winning mare Timarida, along with maiden winners Hasanka and Four Sins.The Stan Moore-trained Satulagi was fourth in the Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile, while second-season trainer William Knight could have his first Vodafone Oaks runner with Shimoni, and Roy Kvisla's Puggy, third to Finsceal Beo in the Group Two Rockfel Stakes, is also engaged.Sir Mark Prescott saddled his first Classic winner when Confidential Lady took the Group One Prix de Diane last term and he has entered Algarade, from the family of Last Second, Alborada and Albanova, while Mark Johnston has Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes runner-up Princess Taise engaged.There is a supplementary entry stage for the Vodafone Oaks on May 26, costing #20,000. The fillies' Classic is run on the first day of the Vodafone Derby Festival, Friday, June 1, which is Vodafone Ladies Day.
