2026 Epsom Oaks Day Preview & Tips – DS
2026 Epsom Oaks Day Preview & Tips
For the general public, the Oaks and Derby meeting may have lost some of its lustre in recent years but for breeders, owners, and trainers, this is a monumental weekend. First up on Friday the 3yo fillies take centre stage and Dave Stevos is on the job. His 2026 Epsom Oaks Day preview and tips are below.
1.30 – 3yo Dash handicap (Class 2)
A blink and you’ll miss it affair. It’s a fast, downhill 5f at Epsom but with rain around, it some of the pure speedballs might just be vulnerable. There’s a few that like to race up with the early pace here, including Rosie Frith, She’s Got A Brother, Naana’s Shadow, One And Gone, Hanney Girl and Alfa Duplicate.
In the hope that they might tire in the closing stages on rain softened ground, I am going to take a chance on one that handles an ease and that will be ridden from off the pace. The one that fits the bill is the Adrian Keatley trained son of Nando Parrado, Chairmanfourtimes.
He was kept busy at two and he showed most of his best form on easy ground. He has gone forward in his races before and he doesn’t lack speed over 6f but his best form by far has come when he’s been held up off a strong pace on soft or good to soft ground over 5f.
Harry Rosebery Win
That’s what unfolded when he had the biggest win of his career in the Listed Harry Rosebery Stakes at Ayr. He came with a late rattle from off the pace to win that over 5f on soft and that earned him an official rating of 97.
He’s had excuses for all three runs since. It paid to be close to the pace when he was last in a Newmarket G3, and the ground was quick that day. He may have needed his comeback run at Wolves in April and at York last time, it was quick ground again.
On the back of those three defeats, the handicapper has dropped him to 88 and on that Ayr win, he is capable of hitting the frame off that mark. He should get his favoured ground now and he should also get a strong pace to aim at so at 20/1, Chairmanfourtimes is the e/w selection.
2026 Epsom Oaks Day Tip: Chairmanfourtimes e/w @ 20/1 (5 places) nb
2.05 – Woodcote Stakes (Class 2)
We backed Dandyman Dan at fancy odds at Sandown last week and he was desperately unlucky not to place. He was green again, just like he was when scoring on debut at Bath, but once he got going he was making ground hand over fist in the closing stages and only for being hampered inside the final furlong, he would have finished closer than the 1.5l he was beaten at the line.
On that evidence, the step up to 6f looks almost certain to suit the son of Dandy Man and he hopefully won’t be as green this time. As far as soft ground goes, it’s an unknown but his dam is related to a number of winners that handled cut so on breeding, there is every chance he’ll handle it.
Odds of 8/1 would usually be marginally too short for this blog but I will be kicking myself if he wins and I don’t put him up and in any case, I think he should be a fair bit shorter. Dandyman Dan is the e/w selection.
2026 Epsom Oaks Day Tip: Dandyman Dan e/w @ 8/1 NAP (4 places)
2.40 – Diomed Stakes (Group 3)
I’m going to take a punt on the outsider of the field, Royal Playwright. Trained by Andrew Balding, this son of Lope De Vega likes to get his toe in. Bar a poor run in the G1 Futurity Stakes at Donny in 2024, his form on soft ground includes a 1m G2 second behind Wimbledon Hawkeye and a 1m2f conditions race win at Goodwood.
The 4yo colt ran in this race last year, on good ground, and was far from disgraced in fourth, finishing 3.25l behind the winner Persica and 2.5l behind subsequent Queen Anne winner Docklands in third.
He came into last year’s race on the back of two runs, this year he is making his seasonal reappearance. Is that a negative? Possibly, but he won on his debut at two and he was only beaten 2l on his first run back last year at Newcastle when denied a clear run so he certainly is capable of going well fresh.
If he is ever going to win a stakes race, it’ll most likely be on rain softened ground and with odds of 22/1 on offer, Royal Playwright is worth taking a chance on e/w.
2026 Epsom Oaks Day Tip: Royal Playwright e/w @ 22/1
3.15 – Nifty Fifty Handicap (Class 2)
This 1m2f handicap looks an open affair and one that stands out at a big price is Great David (no, I’m not tipping him because of his name!). By Ribchester, who loved soft ground (and whose progeny often like soft ground), this 4yo colt has had one start on soft ground in a 1m Brighton novice and guess what? He won.
Last year, he won on his seasonal return on good ground at Nottingham off 76 and then he went on to run some cracking races in defeat in stakes company at Chester (listed), Royal Ascot (G3), and Hamilton (listed), all at 1m2f-1m3f on good and good to firm ground.
James Tate returned him to handicap company on his seasonal return at Chester last month. He raced wide and prominently for the most part before tiring in the latter stages and I’m hoping he may have needed that. He’s been dropped 2lb, Rossa Ryan takes over (32/149 with 57 top 4 finishes for Tate) and he’s back on soft ground for just the second time in his career. With odds of 40/1 on offer, a small e/w interest is advised.
2026 Epsom Oaks Day Tip: Great David e/w @ 40/1 (5 places)
4.00 – Betfred Oaks (Group 1)
I have already tipped A La Prochaine at 16/1 for this race, you can read my reasoning here.
