Andrew Nelis racing

Dual Classic heroine Love is the star attraction among eight contenders for the Darley Yorkshire Oaks. Following a dominant victory in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, Aidan O’Brien’s filly was even more impressive when stepped up to a mile and a half for the Oaks at Epsom. The daughter of Galileo is challenging the brilliant Enable for favouritism for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp in early October, and will be widely expected to enhance those claims at York next week. O’Brien has also entered his multiple Group One winner Magical, as well as Epsom runner-up Ennistymon. John Gosden decided against bidding for a third Yorkshire Oaks victory with Enable – but the Clarehaven maestro could instead call upon Frankly Darling, winner of the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot before finishing third behind Love at Epsom, and recent York winner Franconia. Sir Mark Prescott’s Alpinista could be set for a swift step up in class after winning the Listed Upavon Fillies’ Sta...

Ed Walker is hoping English King can turn around the Derby form with Khalifa Sat and confirm his Group One potential in the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood. The Camelot colt shot to prominence in the Epsom betting after a facile trial success at Lingfield, but he could finish only fifth behind surprise all-the-way winner Serpentine on the big day earlier this month. Khalifa Sat finished second on that occasion, three-quarters of a length ahead of English King - and while Walker's charge was making up ground in the finish, he has full respect for the Derby runner-up..

Surprise Investec Derby winner Serpentine will head to France for his next outing in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris. The Group One on September 13 takes place at ParisLongchamp on the same day as the Prix Vermeille and Prix Foy, but there will be no Prix Niel this season as a result. Serpentine made every yard of the running at Epsom – winning by five and a half lengths, having only broken his maiden a week earlier. “The plan with him is to go for the Grand Prix de Paris on the same day as the Arc trials,” said trainer Aidan O’Brien. “The lads (owners Coolmore) wanted to keep him at a mile and a half, with a view that he could go for the Arc or something like that. “Santiago, we always had marked down with the Leger – which is why we’re going to Goodwood with him in between – (and) I wouldn’t imagine Serpentine will go the Leger.                        Andrew Nelis racing 

The  Derby  Festival at Epsom is open to a new lead sponsor and naming partner from 2021 after the Jockey Club and Investec agreed to end their 12-year partnership. As well as the Derby itself, sponsorship of the Oaks and the Coronation Cup is up for grabs, with the latter event set to return to Epsom in 2021 having been moved to Newmarket this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. In normal years, the Derby Festival is usually run over two days, with Derby day taking place on the first Saturday in June. This year the meeting was condensed to one afternoon on July 4 and successfully delivered behind closed doors..                        Andrew Nelis Racing .

Ed Dunlop will consider options at home and abroad for Red Verdon following his big-race triumph in France on Tuesday. It is over four years since the chestnut finished sixth in the Investec Derby at Epsom and fourth in the Irish equivalent, before just missing out on Group One glory in the Grand Prix de Paris, run that year at Saint-Cloud. But the well-travelled seven-year-old proved he is no back number when landing a Listed prize at Doncaster a month ago and looked even better in claiming the most lucrative prize of his career in the Group Two Prix Maurice de Nieuil at ParisLongchamp under Frankie Dettori...                    Andrew Nelis Racing 

Outstanding filly Love will sidestep this weekend’s Juddmonte Irish Oaks and will instead be aimed at next month's Darley Yorkshire Oaks, trainer Aidan O'Brien revealed on Monday. A brilliant winner of the Qipco 1,000 Guineas and Investec Oaks, Love is as short as 7-2 favourite with some firms for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October, which O’Brien confirmed was the daughter of Galileo's long-term target.  He said: “Love doesn't run this weekend. She is perfect. What we are thinking at the moment is that she is probably going to go straight to York for the Yorkshire Oaks, and then on to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after that.                         Andrew Nelis racing 

Serpentine sprang a 25-1 surprise as he made all for a famous victory in the Investec Derby at Epsom. One of six runners for Aidan O'Brien - who was winning the race for an incredible eighth time - Serpentine only shed his maiden tag at the third time of asking last weekend. Turning out just seven days later, Serpentine appeared to be filling the pacemaker role for better-fancied stable companions, including Mogul, with Khalifa Sat and fellow O'Brien contender Amhran Na Bhfiann the only ones to really try to go with him..                        Andrew Nelis racing 

Love added another Classic to her CV as she galloped all over her rivals in the Investec Oaks at Epsom. Winner of the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket last month, the Aidan O'Brien-trained filly made a seamless step up to 12 furlongs as she cruised home by nine lengths in the hands of Ryan Moore. Stablemate Passion and Tiempo Vuela tried to set the early pace, but they were ignored by the main players, with Moore settling the 11-10 favourite in fifth and Frankie Dettori tracking him on main market rival Frankly Darling.                    Andrew Nelis Racing 

Safe Voyage took a while to hit his stride in the Investec Surrey Stakes - but eventually did so in style to emerge on top in the Listed prize. Trained by John Quinn and ridden by Jason Hart, Safe Voyage was sent off the 6-5 favourite on the back of a fine reappearance effort, but it was Shine So Bright who seized the early initiative. Silvestre de Sousa let the grey stride on and with a couple of furlongs to run it looked as though his front-running tactics would pay dividends.                      Andrew Nelis Racing 

Owner Anthony Oppenheimer believes the fact no spectators will be at Epsom on Saturday for the Investec Oaks could boost the chances of his filly Frankly Darling. The daughter of Frankel has come a long way in a short space of time, as she was still a maiden when racing resumed on June 1. She was the undoubted star in action when racing returned at Newcastle, with the John Gosden-trained filly bolting up and subsequently going on to land the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot. That race would normally come after the Oaks, but in this mixed up season it was seen as a trial for Epsom.                        Andrew Nelis racing 

Should Kameko add the Investec Derby to his 2000 Guineas success at Epsom on Saturday, then Andrew Balding's colt will join an elite list. Equine giants such as Nijinsky, Nashwan and Sea The Stars completed the double and the last one to achieve it was Camelot in 2012. Kameko's efforts at Newmarket provided champion jockey Oisin Murphy with a first British Classic, while it was a second for Balding, coming some 17 years after Casual Look won the Oaks. His family is intrinsically linked to the Derby given his father, Ian, trained the brilliant 1971 winner, Mill Reef.

1 AMHRAN NA BHFIANN Sire : Galileo.  Trainer : Aidan O’Brien.  Official rating : --.  Odds : 50-1 Who will add their name to the Derby roll of honour? Positives : His sister, Was, won the Oaks on her third start in 2012, while his brother, Douglas Macarthur, finished seventh in the 2017 Derby after being deployed as a pacemaker. He himself offered something to work on when fourth in a Leopardstown maiden last time, when finishing behind three stablemates who subsequently all made their presence felt in the Irish Derby. His best days are ahead of him. Negatives : Has mountain to climb on form and even his master trainer has not pulled off the trick of winning the Derby with a twice-raced maiden. Indeed, the last maiden to win the race was in 1887. Verdict : Folly to underestimate anything his trainer runs but easy enough to looks elsewhere. 2 EMISSARY Sire : Kingman.  Trainer : Hugo Palmer.  Official rating : 98.  Odds : 33-1 ...