Eswarah missing as three join Irish Oaks
Three fillies have been supplemented for Sunday’s Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh, but Michael Jarvis’s Epsom heroine Eswarah is not among them.
Connections had been leaning towards giving the race a miss, and they are now likely to wait for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes or the Vodafone Nassau Stakes.
The Aga Khan was responsible for two of the supplementary entries as he has added the John Oxx-trained Hazariya and Alain de Royer-Dupre’s Shawanda to the field.
The other addition is Right Key, trained by Kevin Prendergast.
Twenty-one are in the race after today’s five-day stage, and Frances Crowley’s Saoire heads the home defence as she tries for a Classic double following her victory in the Irish 1000 Guineas.
Jim Bolger’s Epsom third Pictavia stood her ground, while the Con Collins-trained Chelsea Rose, winner of the Moyglare Stud Stakes last year, is also engaged and Oxx also has the option of running Allexina and Behkiyra.
Aidan O’Brien has Briolette and Mona Lisa in the race.
There is a potentially strong overseas challenge with six British raiders engaged headed by John Gosden’s recent Lancashire Oaks winner Playful Act.
John Dunlop’s Ribblesdale Stakes winner Thakafaat and stablemate Cassydora are other possibles, along with Luca Cumani’s Dash To The Top, Sir Mark Prescott’s Songerie and the Mick Quinlan-trained Subtle Affair.
