Yorkshire Oaks ante-post tips: Two 16-1 shots fancied to bounce back

Three-year-olds have held sway in the Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks in recent seasons, with the five-year-old pair of Enable in 2019 (when she was winning her second Yorkshire Oaks) and Alpinista in 2022 the only outliers since the four-year-old The Fugue won the 2013 renewal. 

Seven of those were trained by Aidan O'Brien, including Minnie Hauk who won 12 months ago, though if she returns to defend her crown it is as a four-year-old with something of a shadow hanging over her following a poor effort behind Kalpana in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Islington (2002 and 2003) was the last to win back-to-back renewals.

O'Brien also has his unbeaten Nassau Stakes winner Diamond Necklace in the entries, and whilst it's hard to be dogmatic, this race has not been mentioned amongst possible targets and you get the feeling that connections may wait until the back-end of the season before she is stepped up to a mile and a half. 

Clearly, Kalpana is the mare to beat after her scintillating defeat of Calandagan, with Benvenuto Cellini in third, however her excellent course record is what sets her apart at Ascot and her previous form elsewhere suggests that she is very much respected but not invincible. She had a tough race last month, has big targets later in the season, and has to be taken on at 11-8. 

Joseph O'Brien appears to have made it his mission to win as many Oaks as possible this season, as Epsom heroine Thundering On's late absence from the Irish equivalent merely provided an opportunity for stablemate Johanna Walsh to claim her own Classic. 

That's a key piece of form; Inis Mor was a never-nearer second, Sparan Nua a staying-on third, with EARTH SHOT (sixth) and Composing (ninth) further behind. 

The automatic reaction is to think that Inis Mor – who had to wait for a run and was last off the bridle – is the value at 20s, and, having also been placed behind Diamond Necklace in France she may prove to be so, but I think that the strongly-run race slightly flattered those who were held up. 

That makes the performance of Johanna Walsh all the more meritorious, as she was up with the pace early before racing in midfield, but I'm prepared to give another chance to Earth Shot. 

The William Haggas-trained filly appeared undone by the slow pace when a head-second to Inis Mor at Goodwood in May, but relished the greater test of stamina when reeling in Johanna Walsh in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot. 

She had to come wide off the home turn that day due to the loose horse, but wound her challenge up on the outside and finished best of all. 

As a result, she was sent off the 9-4 favourite at the Curragh last month, but failed to pick up as well as the winner and was then given an easy time by James Doyle after being hampered. 

This longer straight should enable her to get her long stride going, and it looks the perfect race for a retrieval mission; she's worth backing at 16-1. 

I also want to give another chance to another 16-1 chance LEGACY LINK, who races in the same Juddmonte colours as Kalpana. 

She got in a battle when winning the Musidora here on her reappearance in May, though was a cosier winner than the margin suggested, and then took her form up another notch when a fine second to Thundering On in the Oaks. 

Sent off just 13-8 for the Ribblesdale, she was better than the result as she was badly hampered before the furlong pole, having failed to pick up as well as those around her. 

That might have been down to the quick ground – or the hard race at Epsom – but she has been given a break since and I expect the floodplain of the Knavesmire to ride a bit slower than Ascot that day.  

Yorkshire Oaks: EARTH SHOT at 16-1 (General). 

Yorkshire Oaks: LEGACY LINK at 16-1 (General). 

Juddmonte International Stakes: ROYAL CHAMPION each-way at 50-1 (General). 

Nunthorpe Stakes: MISSION CENTRAL at 12-1 (General) and ROSY AFFAIR at 20-1 (General).