Elite European Racing This Weekend

This weekend sees four Group 1 races run in Europe, beginning with the Epsom Oaks and Coronation Cup on Friday, and the Epsom Derby and Prix Du Jockey Club on Saturday. Trainer Aidan O'Brien has five of the fourteen Oaks runners, including the 5-2 favourite Santa Barbara (Camelot-Senta's Dream, by Danehill), while Japanese bred Snowfall (Deep Impact-Best in the World, by Galileo) who won the Gr3 Musidora Stakes impressively last start will be ridden by Frankie Dettori. The Gr1 Coronation Cup for older horses over 2400m has only seven runners, with O'Brien full-siblings Japan (Galileo-Shastye, by Danehill) and Mogul (Galileo-Shastye, by Danehill) expected to feature well, while Shadwell's Al Aasy (Sea the Stars-Kitcara, by Shamardal) is the 10-11 favourite thanks to a strong win last start in the Gr3 Newbury Aston Park Stakes over the same trip. On Saturday, attention turns to the Gr1 Epsom Derby, where the favourite is the O'Brien runner Bolshoi Ballet (Galileo-Alta Anna, by Anabaa) who will now be the only runner for the Ballydoyle stable. Second favourite is Mac Swiney (New Approach-Halla Na Saoire, by Teofilo) and third favourite is impeccably bred John Leeper (Frankel-Snow Fairy, by Intikhab). Over in France on Sunday meanwhile, the Prix Du Jockey Club (French Derby) features Australian-owned Normandy Bridge (Le Havre-Aiglonne, by Silver Hawk), while the favourite is St Mark's Basilica (Siyouni-Cabaret, by Galileo).