Good ground possible for Oaks

Epsom clerk of the course Andrew Cooper believes the going for Friday's Investec Oaks will "not be far off good".

A total of six millimetres of rain had fallen overnight and into Wednesday afternoon, with more forecast in the evening.

However, a dry and warm day is expected on Thursday which Copper feels will negate any further rainfall leaving the ground almost as it is now.

"We had been dry since 7am up until having a shower about 3pm," said Cooper.

"That will have amounted to about a millimetre and we had five overnight. There's the possibility of more tonight but it should have cleared by midnight.

"We're calling it good, good to soft in places.

"Tomorrow is supposed to be dry and fresh, around 20C, and Friday day will be dry and humid. There's a risk of thunder on Friday night, however.

"I think for the Oaks, we'll be looking at ground that will not be far off good."

A total of 17 fillies have been declared for the Classic, including Dermot Weld's Tarfasha, a proven good ground performer, so connections will be pleased the heavier rain is not due until after the race

Her jockey Pat Smullen told At The Races: "I just hope they don't have much more rain and it dries out as she's a very good moving filly.

"If it did come down, she wouldn't be a certain runner.

"She's done well from two to three. She was a weak little filly last year, she wasn't over-raced and she was given plenty of time over the winter. She developed well."

Tarfasha is owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, as is one of the favourites, John Gosden's Taghrooda.

Aidan O'Brien's Marvellous has overtaken Taghrooda at the top of the market with some bookmakers after a brilliant display in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

She is the choice of Joseph O'Brien, with Ryan Moore riding stablemate Palace and Seamie Heffernan on Dazzling.

David Simcock is one of a number of trainers with more than one chance.

He runs the Musidora winner Madame Chiang and Momentus, who finished third in the Lingfield Oaks Trial behind Ralph Beckett's supplemented Honor Bound, the choice of Jim Crowley over stablemate Regardez.

Crowley chose Beckett's Secret Gesture last year rather than Talent, with the latter beating her stable companion.

"Both Regardez and Honor Bound are in good shape and I am very happy with their wide draws (13 and 15) on the basis that Secret Gesture was compromised by her inside draw last year," said Beckett.

"They would handle more give in the ground than is likely to be the case - I think it will be good ground which means there are no excuses for anybody. They would both appreciate a downpour but that does not look as if it is going to happen.

"Honor Bound's work last week was good and although I doubt that her Lingfield Oaks win represents strong form, she was very keen through the race and did not exactly get a charmed trip.

"She did not have the rub of the green yet she still won, so you could rate her a bit better than the bare result.

"She did not look where she was going coming round the bend at Lingfield) yet still came around it as if she was on rails, so her handling the track at Epsom is the least of my worries.

"We are putting a hood on her to help with the stalls. The stalls regulations have been changed so that you can load without a rider, which seems to suit her, and I am confident that she will go in."

Regardez is from the same family and has the same owner-breeder as Beckett's 2008 Oaks winner, Look Here.

"She is not that different in temperament or demeanour to Look Here," he added.

"Look Here enjoyed every day and every day was a good day as far as she was concerned and this filly is the same.

"We are rolling the dice with her and I think that is the right thing to do. When she was third in the Musidora Stakes she chased a strong pace and then looked like getting swamped before galloping out strongly to the line."

Beckett's only two Group One triumphs have come in the Oaks.

"I couldn't begin to tell you why I have such a good record in the race, although I do get sent a lot of staying fillies," said Beckett.

"You can have odds of 1,000-1 with me that I have a 1-2 again this year!"

The only filly trained in the north is Lily Rules, second to Madame Chiang in the Musidora, and she also needed to be supplemented by her connections.

"She's entitled to go down, she ran a blinder at York," said Coyle.

"It cost us a few quid to put her in but like the owner said to me, we might never have a chance to run another filly in the Oaks again.

Lily Rules is among the outsiders with Coral offering 40-1. The firm have Marvellous as their 3-1 favourite.