Strong field featuring Emily Upjohn entered into Fillies’ & Mares

Last year’s winner Emily Upjohn heads a strong entry from the training team of John and Thady Gosden for this year’s QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.

The stable has won three of the last seven renewals with Frankie Dettori riding all three, but he could have a difficult choice this year as Emily Upjohn is one of five entries from the Clarehaven stables. Last year’s Lancashire Oaks winner Free Wind, Pretty Polly winner Running Lion, disappointing Ribblesdale favourite Al Asifah and Sweet Memories are also entered.

Thady Gosden said: “It’s been similar to last year with Emily Upjohn. She ran well at Epsom to win the Coronation this year before a slight blip in the King George at Ascot. That happened last year but she has come out of the race well.”

Two of the stable’s three winners were three-year-olds in Star Catcher (2019) and Emily Upjohn last year while Journey was also the last successful four-year-old in the race in 2016.

O’Brien enters 11 into exciting renewal

Aidan O’Brien, who won back-to-back renewals with Hydrangea and Magical in 2017 and 2018, also has 11 entries headed by Savethelastdance, runner-up in this year’s Oaks like Emily Upjohn before her, and Warm Heart, the Ribblesdale Stakes winner at Royal Ascot.

The Ballydoyle trainer said: “Savethelastdance is training well and we are looking at the Yorkshire Oaks at York next for her.”

Karl Burke’s two entries Poptronic, the Lancashire Oaks winner, and Novakai, winner of the Listed Aphrodite Stakes at Newmarket, are also bound for the Yorkshire Oaks first.

Burke said: “Both would handle a bit of cut in the ground. Poptronic stays a bit further and Novakai, who was Group 1 placed at two, needed the step up to a mile and a half last time and improved for it and saw it out well.”

Other notable entries include Betfred Oaks sixth Heartache Tonight, half-sister to the 2020 winner Wonderful Tonight and Via Sistina, beaten a neck by Poptronic in the Lancashire Oaks. She also holds an entry in the QIPCO Champion Stakes.