The Oaks 2015 Preview

Crystal Ballin' - Crystal Zvezda looks a major player in the Oaks.

It took a while to get there, but with the middle two classics of the season just days away now the markets for this year’s Derby and Oaks have finally taken shape.

The fancy prices may have disappeared now but with so much uncertainty over so many contenders in both races over the last few months playing the waiting game with Epsom 2015 has probably been a smart move.

With a short-priced favourite in the Derby there definitely looks to be some value lurking and although the Oaks looks more open, at least as far as the betting goes, I’m pretty keen on the chances of one of the main challengers.

The filly in question is Sir Michael Stoute’s Crystal Zvezda, an impressive winner of a Listed race at Newbury last month, the same race last year’s Oaks third Volume won en route to Epsom.

King George 2013 Preview

What's that coming over the Hill? - Supplemented Hillstar can step up and win the King George

Just before the time of writing this preview the 2013 renewal of the King George lost a lot of its gloss with the terrible career-ending injury to favourite St. Nicholas Abbey.

At the time of writing it is unknown whether the injury will also be life-ending, but hopefully St. Nic can be saved and can go on to the stud career I always expected of him.

This year’s King George was already just missing something for me and with St. Nic now out too it really does feel a little lackluster. That said, it does look competitive stuff and could end up being a wide open renewal of a race that has provided some real thrills over the last few years.

The race has always had a distinctly international flavour and this year’s renewal is no different, and what better place to start than with the highest rated horse in training in the world Cirrus Des Aigles.