Epsom Oaks form to the fore in Cork feature Investec Oaks fifth Delphinia heads Aidan O’Brien’s quartet of runners competing for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes at Cork. The daughter of Galileo outran her odds of 66-1 with a good effort at Epsom 11 weeks ago, and has the opportunity on Saturday to add this Group Three over a mile and a half to her only previous success in a Galway maiden last season. O’Brien also saddles the Listed-placed pair Simply Beautiful and Credenza as well as Invitation, who got off the mark at Galway this month when fitted with blinkers for the first time. The Ballydoyle trainer shares the record of five wins in this race with Dermot Weld, who relies on Tarnawa. The Shamardal filly is on a retrieval mission, having finished well behind in the Oaks at Epsom after winning the Blue Wind Stakes at Naas on her previous outing. Completing the field is the only four-year-old among the six runners, the John Oxx-trained Moteo. Jim Bolger — who trained Give Thanks during her illustrious career that included winning the Irish Oaks in 1983 — runs Flight Risk in the main supporting race on the card, the Matchbook Straight Seven Platinum Stakes. The eight-year-old has to give weight all round because of a 5lb penalty for success in the Group Three Ballycorus Stakes at Leopardstown in June. Jessica Harrington is doubly represented with the seven-year-old Marshall Jennings and Chocolate Music, one of five three-year-olds in the nine-runner field. O’Brien introduces two impeccably-bred fillies in the Murphy’s Irish Stout Supporting Marymount Hospice Irish EBF Fillies Maiden, over a mile. Snow, sister to 2018 St Leger scorer Kew Gardens, was a 1,200,000 guineas purchase — while Passion, a full sister to dual Classic hero Capri, cost 800,000 guineas. O’Brien has a third string in Salsa, who has had the benefit of a run when she finished sixth in a maiden at Glorious Goodwood. Tom Gibney’s Imposing Supreme bids to back up his Galway victory in the Barry’s Tea Supporting Marymount Hospice Handicap — in which he is set to face 17 rivals.
