Love to face five rivals in Yorkshire Oaks

Horse Racing

PA Sport Reporters
August 18, 2020 10:15 am

Dual Classic heroine a warm order to add to her tally at York.

Aidan O’Brien’s 1000 Guineas and Oaks winner Love is the star name among six runners declared for Thursday’s Darley Yorkshire Oaks.

While she might not have headed into the winter with as big a reputation as some of her predecessors at Ballydoyle, she has been the dominant three-year-old filly this season by some distance.

A four-and-a-half-length win in the Guineas was followed up by an even more impressive nine-length demolition job in the Oaks at Epsom.

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With dual Yorkshire Oaks heroine Enable being saved for the September Stakes at Kempton by John Gosden, Love is likely to go off at prohibitive odds on the Knavesmire.

All you need is Love! ❤️
Love prevails and goes on to land the @Investec Oaks under Ryan Moore for Aidan O’Brien, @Ballydoyle ?#InvestecDerbyDay pic.twitter.com/rHbL2MB3hi
— Epsom Downs Racecourse (@EpsomRacecourse) July 4, 2020

Despite Enable’s non-participation, Gosden still runs two very smart fillies.

Frankly Darling, winner of the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot and third in the Oaks when she reportedly failed to handle the track, is joined by stablemate Franconia, winner of both her starts this season including a Listed race at York last time out.

In the absence of Frankie Dettori, who has stayed in France following his weekend heroics due to the quarantine regulations, Robert Havlin will ride Frankly Darling, with James Doyle on Franconia.

Frankly Darling will bid to turn the tables on Love (Edward Whitaker/PA)

Manuela De Vega has some smart Group One form to her name and has won both the Pinnacle Stakes and the Lancashire Oaks this year for Ralph Beckett. As the only four-year-old in the field, she must concede 9lb to each of her rivals, while any rain would aid her cause.

Jessica Harrington’s One Voice is back in Britain having pushed Fancy Blue close in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood. She steps up to a mile and a half for the first time and Tom Marquand retains the ride.

The field is completed by Sir Mark Prescott’s Alpinista, who made all to win a Listed race at Salisbury recently.