A field of nine fillies go in The Oaks of 2025 at Epsom Downs on Friday, 6 June (4pm BST) with 1000 Guineas heroine Desert Flower a strong favourite. Although trainer Charlie Appleby has never won this Classic contest, owners Godolphin are no strangers to success.
Desert Flower bids to give the powerful owner-breeders their first win in this 1m 4f race since 2002. Connections have gone close twice since with Wild Illusion (2018) and Dance Sequence (2024) both finishing second in recent years.
A strong stayer at a mile towards the end of last season, Desert Flower has attracted plenty of ante-post market support on horse racing betting sites for Epsom subsequent to her Newmarket triumph last month. She made all in the 1000 Guineas, but now steps up half-a-mile in trip.
Against Desert Flower are three fillies from the Aidan O’Brien stable. He has 10 wins in The Oaks including six in the last decade. Representing Ballydoyle here are trial winners Giselle (Lingfield), Minnie Hauk (Cheshire Oaks) and Whirl (Musidora Stakes).
Salsabil Stakes scorer Wemightakedlongway also comes over from Ireland for the race Shadwell Estates supplemented 1000 Guineas fourth Elwateen into The Oaks of 2025, meanwhile, for £30,000.
Newbury Trial 1-2 Qilin Queen and Revoir take each other on again. Completing the Classic line-up this year is Musidora third Go Go Boots for the John & Thady Gosden stable. Our horse racing experts profile all nine fillies bidding for Epsom glory
The Oaks 2025 Runners Guide
1. Desert Flower
- Sire: Night Of Thunder
- Dam: Promising Run
- Damsire: Hard Spun
- Draw: Stall 1
- Jockey: William Buick
- Trainer: Charlie Appleby
- Official Rating: 117
- Form Figures: 1111-1
- Notable Wins: May Hill Stakes, Fillies’ Mile, 1000 Guineas
Half-a-stone and upwards clear of the rest of the field on official figures. Three-time Group winner over a mile and seeing it out well including 1000 Guineas latest. This represents an unknown stamina-wise, but strong market confidence she will stay the distance. The one to beat if she gets the trip.
2. Elwateen
- Sire: Dubawi
- Dam: Tawkeel
- Damsire: Teofilo
- Draw: Stall 5
- Jockey: Jim Crowley
- Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
- Official Rating: 108
- Form Figures: 1-4
- Notable Wins: None
Unexposed and supplemented for The Oaks in 2025 after finishing fourth behind Desert Flower in the 1000 Guineas. Dam won the Prix Saint-Alary over 1m 2f and sire produces plenty of horses that stay this far and further. Interesting contender, but light on experience.
3. Giselle
- Sire: Frankel
- Dam: Newspaperofrecord
- Damsire: Lope De Vega
- Draw: Stall 3
- Jockey: Colin Keane
- Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
- Official Rating: 102
- Form Figures: 213-1
- Notable Wins: Lingfield Oaks Trial
😍 GISELLE runs away with an awful Listed race at Lingfield.
Is she an Oaks winner in waiting for Aidan O’Brien?
— Stephen R Power (@racingblogger) May 10, 2025
Interesting blend of speed and stamina in pedigree. Hard to assess value of Lingfield success on reappearance as just three ran. Runner-up didn’t advertise form when seventh in Haydock handicap. Behind stable companion Whirl in Group 3 company as a juvenile, but drawn better than her here.
4. Go Go Boots
- Sire: Night Of Thunder
- Dam: Hertford Dancer
- Damsire: Foxwedge
- Draw: Stall 4
- Jockey: Oisin Murphy
- Trainers: John & Thady Gosden
- Official Rating: 99
- Form Figures: 1-13
- Notable Wins: None
Dual Lingfield novice winner on the All-Weather. Only third to Whirl in Musidora Stakes on her turf debut latest. Dam won Lingfield Oaks Trial, but didn’t stay this trip in Ribblesdale Stakes or Lancashire Oaks. Anything saddled by the yard can’t totally be discounted, but other runners in The Oaks of 2025 appeal more.
5. Minnie Hauk
- Sire: Frankel
- Dam: Multilingual
- Damsire: Dansili
- Draw: Stall 2
- Jockey: Ryan Moore
- Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
- Official Rating: 100
- Form Figures: 21-1
- Notable Wins: Cheshire Oaks
Second to Wemigtakedlongway on her racecourse debut, then won Leopardstown mile maiden. Improved on that juvenile form with Cheshire Oaks success on reappearance latest. Runner-up well-beaten at Chantilly on French Derby card last Sunday. Needs to improve again, but pick of Ballydoyle stable jockey.
6. Qilin Queen
- Sire: Pinatubo
- Dam: Seagull
- Damsire: Sea The Stars
- Draw: Stall 7
- Jockey: Tom Marquand
- Trainer: Ed Walker
- Official Rating: 98
- Form Figures: 312-31
- Notable Wins: Newbury Fillies’ Trial
Just held on!
Qilin Queen sees off Revoir to win a thriller at @NewburyRacing for @HollieDoyle1 and @edwalkerracing… pic.twitter.com/T6uFOGiqcE
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 17, 2025
Improved from Pretty Polly Stakes third at Newmarket on reappearance to land a trial for The Oaks of 2025 around Newbury latest. Just held on from re-opposing second Revoir. Never out of the frame in three starts in Listed company, but stamina doubts despite damsire winning The Derby here in 2009.
7. Revoir
- Sire: Study Of Man
- Dam: Regardez
- Damsire: Champs Elysees
- Draw: Stall 6
- Jockey: Hector Crouch
- Trainer: Ralph Beckett
- Official Rating: 97
- Form Figures: 1-2
- Notable Wins: None
Close second and gaining all the way to the line in the Newbury Trial for this just won by Qilin Queen. Every chance of turning that form around over the longer distance here. Could be better over a mile-and-a-half and than her rating suggests. Trainer has won this twice before.
8. Wemightakedlongway
- Sire: Australia
- Dam: Ask Me At All
- Damsire: No Nay Never
- Draw: Stall 8
- Jockey: Dylan Browne McMonagle
- Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
- Official Rating: 105
- Form Figures: 313-51
- Notable Wins: Salsabil Stakes
Group Three success for Wemightakedlongway 🤩@JosephOBrien2 and @DylanBrowneMcM land the @IrishEBF_ Salsabil Stakes 👏@NavanRacecourse pic.twitter.com/5Mw9724Jf4
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 26, 2025
Beat Minnie Hauk as a juvenile and made all to land a Navan Group 3 latest. Any showers forecast on the day of The Oaks in 2025 would be welcome. Sire won The Derby when the trainer of her was still riding. Connections also had a 1m 2f Group 1 at the Curragh against older fillies in mind for her at the end of the month. Interesting that she takes her chance here, however.
9. Whirl
- Sire: Wootton Bassett
- Dam: Salsa
- Damsire: Galileo
- Draw: Stall 9
- Jockey: Wayne Lordan
- Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
- Official Rating: 110
- Form Figures: 4511-61
- Notable Wins: Musidora Stakes
Took her form to a new level with impressive York Group 3 victory latest. Didn’t look like she was stopping over the extended 1m 2f either. Could be even more to come now upped further in trip. Damsire won The Derby in 2001 and has a phenomenal influence on thoroughbred stamina. Big threat to the favourite despite wide draw.
The Oaks 2025 Shortlist & Verdict
If Desert Flower gets a mile-and-a-half, then she’s the class act in the race. She’s also a very short price to do that, however, and WHIRL represents a value alternative on her Musidora display. Those fillies placed in the Guineas behind Desert Flower actually flopped in the Irish equivalent later in the month.
Whirl looks the clear pick of the Aidan O’Brien trio if building on and replicating her York run, and despite Ryan Moore riding Minnie Hauk. At bigger odds, Wemightakedlongway could surprise a few for son Joseph. Next best of the English runners might be Revoir, based on how she shaped at Newbury. She has most to find on ratings, but could be even better at this distance.
