Steve Ryder has had three bets on today's Oaks at Epsom.
Epsom Oaks
Nine horses will go to post for today's Oaks at Epsom. The market is headed by 1000 Guineas Desert Flower under William Buick for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin.
Aidan O’Brien has dominated the Epsom Oaks in recent years with eight victories since 2006. Last year Dermot Weld broke the sequence of either O’Brien or John Gosden winning the race with the pair training the winners between them during the period of 2014 to 2023.
We've put together a complete runners guide for the Oaks 2025, while you can also read Steve Ryder's analysis on each of the horses below.
Epsom Oaks Runners Guide
Desert Flower
Unbeaten in her five career starts, she justified being sent off evens favourite for the 1000 Guineas with a victory on her reappearance. The fact that she won twice over a mile last season as a juvenile gives hope that she will be able to stay this extra trip as well as her style of racing.
In both of her Group 1 victories at Newmarket, she was pushed along 2f out before staying on strongly at the finish over a mile. She may well have the class to win over this trip even if she may excel over 1m2f later this season.
Elwateen
Supplemented at a cost of £30,000, she is one of the more interesting fillies in this race. Trained by Saeed Bin Suroor for Shadwell, she made a winning debut at Kempton in August over 7f beating Orchid who has won her latest two starts and is now rated 89. She then outran odds of 22/1 to finish 4th beaten only 2 ¼ lengths in the 1000 Guineas behind Desert Flower.
The 1m4f trip is a slight question mark based on breeding and running style and a lack of experience could also be seen as a negative around the track. However, she is a filly open to huge improvement on only her third start and she should be respected.
Giselle
Impeccably bred being by Frankel out of Newspaperofrecord, she has been sent off favourite for all four of career starts. Beaten by stablemate Bedtime Story on her debut, she got off the mark in a Curragh maiden over 7f last season before finishing behind Whirl in the Group 3 over a mile on soft ground at the end of last season.
Wearing a first-time hood at Lingfield in the Oaks Trial, she eased clear by nine lengths to beat two inferior rivals over 1m3½f but she doesn’t look the most straightforward ride with this race in mind. She will be ridden for the first time by Colin Keane.
Go Go Boots
Well bred filly being out of Hertford Dancer who won the Lingfield Oaks Trial and finished 3rd in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot for the yard. She overcame a tardy start to make a winning debut at Lingfield on the AW before winning at the same venue under a penalty by three lengths at a price of 2/11.
Finished 3rd beaten 5 ¾ lengths by Whirl in the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York last time, she didn’t get the clearest passage throughout the race and appeared in need of this further step up in trip. She is still worthy of respect for a stable who has won this race four times since 2014 and will have Oisin Murphy on board for the first time.
Minnie Hauk
A beaten favourite on her debut at Cork she justified odds of 2/5 to win at Leopardstown over a mile on her final start last season. She looked a strong stayer over the 1m3½f trip at Chester in the Cheshire Oaks under Ryan Moore when she won by a length. Hard to weigh up her form but she looks certain to handle the track and stay the trip and is the chosen mount of Ryan Moore.
Qilin Queen
Won a strong looking Salisbury novice last season before outrunning odds of 40/1 to finish 2nd to Luther in a listed race at Haydock on her next start. Beaten 3 ½ lengths when 3rd behind Falakeyah in the listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket, she beat Revoir by a short head at Newbury last time. A rating of 98 shows that she needs to step forward to be involved in the finish of this race. She is ridden by Tom Marquand for the first time in this race.
Revoir
Lightly raced Ralph Beckett trained filly who has progressed on both of her starts. She made a winning debut at Nottingham on heavy ground by 1 ¼ lengths before finishing runner-up behind the more experienced Qilin Queen in a listed race at Newbury on her reappearance. She was only beaten a short head that day staying on strongly over 1m2f shaping like this step up in trip would suit her well. She would be expected to reverse form with the winner that day in the Oaks. Connections won this in 2008 with Look Here who had an identical profile.
Wemighttakedlongway
Beat Minnie Hauk in a Cork maiden last season before finishing 3rd in a Group 3 at Leopardstown against the colts. She returned with a 5th placed finish in the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes behind Derby favourite Delacroix before winning a Group 3 at Navan back against her own sex by 2 ¾ lengths last time when making all over 1m2f. She could outrun her odds if staying this 1m4f trip.
Whirl
Has progressed with each of her starts including when winning her final two starts last season. She stepped forward from a 6th placed finish on her reappearance at the Curragh to win the Group 3 Musidora Stakes last time in impressive style by 5 ½ lengths. Despite that being her first attempt at the 1m2½f trip, she stayed it strongly.
Ryan Moore has chosen to ride Minnie Hauk instead but she was ridden by Wayne Lordan in her Group 3 victory last season.
Epsom Oaks Latest Betting
| Horse | % Of Bets | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Desert Flower | 36% | 6/4 |
| Minnie Hauk | 11% | 4/1 |
| Whirl | 9.6% | 8/1 |
| Wemightakedlongway | 9.5% | 16/1 |
| Elwateen | 9% | 14/1 |
The table above shows the percentage of bets taken through oddschecker since the declaration stage.
Epsom Oaks Winners, Betting Trends & Stats
This race has been won by top class fillies Taghrooda (2014), Minding (2016) and Enable (2017) in recent years and there is every chance that Desert Flower could be a filly to light up the remainder of the season.
- 20 of the previous 23 winners had finished 1st or 2nd last time out
- 15 of the previous 23 winners had won over at least 1m2f previously
- 14 of the previous 23 winners won last time out
- Eight of the previous 23 winners were trained by Aidan O’Brien
Epsom Oaks Ground Conditions & Weather
The ground is currently described as good following 5mm of irrigation on Tuesday. There is rain forecast on Thursday and Friday but it is likely to only deteriorate to good to soft at worse.
Epsom Oaks Pace & Tactics
Desert Flower made the running to win the 1000 Guineas but it is unlikely that she will be asked to repeat those tactics over a longer trip. With Aidan O’Brien having three main contenders in the field with very little stamina doubts surrounding any of them, it is expected to be a strongly run contest with only Giselle and Go Go Boots expected to be held up in rear.
Epsom Oaks Tips
(Tipped antepost on app 6th May )
The Gosden yard have a superb record in this race and I would like to have an antepost position on GO GO BOOTS (best priced at 33/1) prior to her running in the Lingfield Oaks trial on Saturday.
She is extremely well bred being by Night Of Thunder out of Hertford Dancer who won the Lingfield Oaks Trial herself before finishing 3rd in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot. She was green on her debut when she won over a mile in December at Lingfield before justifying a short price of 2/11 when making a winning reappearance at the same track over 1m2f.
Go Go Boots still showed greenness late on that day but I expect her to win the Musidora Stakes on Wednesday and shorten dramatically for this race.
Although the 1m4f trip is a slight concern on rain softened ground, DESERT FLOWER (best priced at 6/4) no doubt sets the standard on what she has achieved and can remain unbeaten. A rating of 117 puts her 7lbs clear of Whirl and given her running style, she will give herself every chance of staying the extra distance.
Desert Flower is unbeaten in her five career starts including an impressive 5 ½ length victory in the Group 1 Fillies Mile last season on good to soft ground when strongest at the finish. Her victory in the 1000 Guineas could be described as workmanlike but once again she was strong at the finish giving hope that a step up in trip could bring about more improvement.
At a much bigger price, I also like the chances of WEMIGHTTAKEDLONGWAY (best priced at 18/1) with the trip and potentially softening ground no question mark. She beat the much shorter priced Minnie Hauk in a Cork maiden last season before finishing 5th behind Delacroix and Lambourn on her reappearance this season where Lingfield Derby Trial Puppet Master was just ahead of her in 4th.
Wemighttakedlongway made all in a Group 3 at Navan on soft ground last time keeping on well at the finish. She looks the most likely of the outsiders to play a part in the finish.
