Two Brits left in French Oaks Predictably there has been a big foreign withdrawal from the Prix de Diane on Sunday owing to Vodafone Oaks commitments 48 hours earlier.Relish The Thought (Barry Hills), Najah (Godolphin) and the Ed Dunlop pair, Mot Juste and Candice, have all been declared to run at Epsom.Michael Jarvis had adopted a similar course of action with Tarfshi, although she has been left in at Chantilly for precautionary reasons.The other British acceptors are John Dunlop`s Musidora winner Time Away, and Mick Channon`s Lupe Stakes second Arhaaf.Imagine, Aidan O`Brien`s Irish 1000 Guineas winner and leading Oaks fancy, also runs at Epsom. Snowflake and Fantasy Royale are other Ballydoyle defectors from the French Classic.The home defence currently includes the first three home in Prix Saint-Alary, Nadia, Mare Nostrum and Choc Ice.The highly-regarded pair, Aquarelliste and Spring Oak, add strength in depth to the domestic defence. The others are Light Ballet, Zghorta and Epistole.Egyptband, winner of the Prix de Diane last year, is one of 13 acceptors for the Group Two Grand Prix de Chantilly on the same card.The foreign acceptors include Lucido (John Dunlop), Kutub (Godolphin), Courteous (Paul Cole), Saint Expedit (Geoff Wragg) and Chiang Mai (John Gosden).
