In Betfred Oaks, Forest Fairy spearheads Ralph Beckett's four-pronged attack

Ralph Beckett is aiming for a third Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday, and he is responsible for four of the twelve runners who have been declared.

The operator of Kimpton Downs has saddled two previous winners of the Classic for fillies: Look Here in 2008 and Talent five years later.

This time, he launches a four-pronged attack, involving the winners of the Lingfield Oaks Trial, You Got To Me and Treasure, and the Cheshire Oaks first and third, Forest Fairy and Seaward.

Carrying the royal silks of the King and Queen, the latter is allowed to join her three stablemates on the Surrey Downs, although Beckett was originally inclined to save the daughter of Mastercraftsman for the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“We’ve done quite well in the race before, but it’s a long time since I won it last with Talent, and since then nobody but Aidan O’Brien and the Gosdens has won,” he said. “We’ve had plenty of tries since, but this feels like our best chance. I think the market has them about right in terms of preference, although it got it wrong in 2013 (shorter-priced stablemate Secret Gesture finished second). I may have had three runners in a race a few times, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never had four before. Let’s hope one of them is competitive!”