2026 Epsom Oaks Runners - Who remains in contention for Friday's Classic?
With just three days until the 2026 Epsom Oaks, all eyes are on 12 fillies vying for Classic glory at the Epsom Derby Festival. Amelia Earhart headlines the field following her impressive Chester Vase win, with key competition expected from Legacy Link, Precise, and Thundering On. Several top trainers, including Aidan O'Brien and Ralph Beckett, have multiple runners. While Amelia Earhart sets the standard, history and recent form suggest that challengers like Cameo and Venetian Lace could also surprise. The race promises a thrilling showdown among some of the best three-year-old fillies.
- Free run-down of the 12 remaining Epsom Oaks runners
- This Classic takes place at Epsom on Friday 6th June
- Read our thoughts on Amelia Earhart, Legacy Link and Precise
- A La Prochaine
- Amelia Earhart
- Beautify
- Cameo
- K Sarra
- Legacy Link
- On Message
- Precise
- Prizeland
- Sugar Island
- Thundering On
- Venetian Lace
Epsom Oaks Runners
12 fillies remain in contention for the 2026 Epsom Oaks, with Amelia Earhart currently heading the market.
There are now just three days to go before this Classic takes place on the opening day of the Epsom Derby Festival. Here's a rundown of the horses who remain in contention to run in this year's Epsom Oaks.
2026 Epsom Oaks Potential Runners
A La Prochaine
The first of three likely runners for Ralph Beckett - a two-time winner of this famous Classic. A La Prochaine will be the least-experienced runner in the field, having had just two previous starts in her short career.
A 550,000 GNS purchase for Amo Racing as a yearling, Beckett's filly won nicely on her sole juvenile start, before a promising third behind favourite Amelia Earhart in the Chester Vase. James Doyle has already been confirmed in the saddle of A La Prochaine, who is bred to be at her best over this mile-and-a-half distance.
Amelia Earhart
The market leader, following her impressive victory in the Chester Vase. Amelia Earhart wears an unusual combination of a hood and blinkers, which would suggest that she's an awkward customer. Yet, her trial victory at Chester couldn't have been any more straightforward.
After tracking her front-running stablemate, Ryan Moore's mount found full stride entering the straight and eventually won by two lengths. Her full sibling, Cleveland, excelled over a mile and a half and even stayed two miles, so there are no doubts over her stamina heading into this Classic.
Beautify
One of five potential runners for Aidan O'Brien. This daughter of Wootton Bassett claimed a commanding victory in the six-furlong Arlie Stud Stakes in June of last year, before pushing Precise to the line in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.
Beautify was well-beaten on her reappearance in the Nell Gwyn, and suffered another six-length defeat in the Irish 1000 Guineas. She's out of a Munster Oaks winner, and her three siblings were all middle-distance horses. Yet, Beautify's current triple-figure odds suggest that there's little chance of this speedy filly seeing out the trip.
Cameo
Impressed when beating another of Friday's potential runners, Prizeland, in the Oaks Trial at Lingfield. Ryan Moore's mount struggled on her reappearance over a mile, but Cameo took her game to a whole new level with an emphatic victory at Lingfield, where she seemed to get stronger the further she went.
Plenty of top riders will be putting their hands up to ride Cameo, including the likes of Sean Levey and Tom Marquand - both of whom have ridden for Ballydoyle in the past. This daughter of Wootton Bassett took a huge step forwards at Lingfield, and further improvement wouldn't be unexpected.
K Sarra
Rossa Ryan will ride this New Bay filly for Ralph Beckett. Ryan guided K Sarra to victory on her sole two-year-old outing at Southwell, but the pair really struggled when only 11th in the Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury.
K Sarra was ridden cold to get the trip in the Musidora Stakes, but finished her race strongly under pressure to finish just over two lengths adrift of Legacy Link. That was a performance full of promise, but K Sarra will have to raise her game significantly to get involved in this Classic.
Legacy Link
Jumped up to second in the Epsom Oaks betting following a powerful performance in the Musidora Stakes. John Gosden warned that his filly might need the outing during the build-up at York, but Colin Keane's mount was much the best on the day, holding Felicitas and K Sarra at arm's length on the run to the line.
Legacy Link looked like a proper middle-distance filly when finishing fourth in the Fillies' Mile on her final two-year-old start. Four of the last 12 runnings of the Oaks have gone the way of Team Gosden. She would be a worthy winner of this historic contest.
On Message
Kicked this season off with a handicap triumph on the famous Epsom Downs, winning nicely under jockey Rossa Ryan. Hector Crouch then partnered On Message in the final Oaks Trial, the Height Of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood, where Ralph Beckett's filly kept on gamely under pressure to finish a length behind the winner, Inis Mor.
Epsom is a fairly unique track, so course form can never be underestimated. On Message saw out ten furlongs strongly at Goodwood, and she's out of a former Derby winner in Camelot. Still, she's got plenty to find on the more fancied runners.
Precise
The most interesting of Aidan O'Brien's quintet of Epsom Derby Festival entrants, and by far the highest-rated filly in the field. Precise swept aside all before her during an unbeaten juvenile campaign, and badly needed the run when only seventh on her comeback in the 1000 Guineas.
Precise then reversed that Classic form with True Love in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh, powering home down the outside of the field to claim a comfortable victory. Aidan O'Brien has used the Guineas as a trial for the Oaks on many occasions down the years, and no-one in the camp seems worried about Precise's ability to see out a mile and a half.
Prizeland
Two from two on the all-weather, having recorded victories at Kempton and Lingfield either side of a winter break. Prizeland then returned to turf in the Oaks Trial at Lingfield, and ran well to finish second behind Cameo.
It never seemed likely that Andrew Balding's filly would be able to keep up with Aidan O'Brien's winner that day, and she's got even bigger fish to fry at Epsom on Friday. The lowest-rated runner in the field at 96, she doesn't stand much of a chance.
Sugar Island
The most likely pace-maker out of Aidan O'Brien's entrants. Sugar Island made all when beating Thundering On in her final two-year-old outing at the Curragh, and was tasked with setting the pace for Amelia Earhart at Chester.
Sugar Island still seemed to be travelling well that day, but faded tamely entering the straight to eventually finish fourth. She'll go forward at Epsom, but the chances of her maintaining that advantage for much further than ten furlongs seem fairly bleak.
Thundering On
Held up when second to Sugar Island in the Staffordstown Stud Stakes, and still looked green when she was touched off on her reappearance in a maiden. Despite still holding maiden status, Thundering On was backed into 11/4 favouritism ahead of the Salsabil Stakes, and rewarded her many backers with an excellent performance.
Joseph O'Brien's filly travelled beautifully behind the front-runners, and took off once a small gap opened, winning that Group Three by four widening lengths. Her dam improved with age, winning the Pretty Polly Stakes as a four-year-old, and Thundering On greatly appreciated the step up in trip at Leopardstown. Recent market support suggests that this filly is a serious contender.
Venetian Lace
Danced plenty of big dances at two, recording top-four finishes at Royal Ascot, the July Festival and the Sweet Solera. Venetian Lace ended 2025 with a fine runner-up effort to Precise in the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket.
Charlie Johnston's filly returned to HQ for her three-year-old reappearance in the 1000 Guineas, and ran a cracker to finish third behind two race-fit rivals. Johnston said that the Oaks was the goal for Venetian Lace even before that fine effort in the Guineas. If she gets the trip, she could be a player.
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