Aidan O’Brien remains the dominant force in the Oaks, having trained 11 winners in the race since 1998, and he saddles three fillies this year.
Amelia Earhart heads O’Brien’s team based on jockey bookings and market positioning, arriving at Epsom on the back of a convincing victory at Chester.
She took out the Listed Cheshire Oaks at Chester, beating the well-regarded I’m The One in what was a thoroughly impressive display of her ability.
Her willingness to handle Chester’s tight turns should translate well to Epsom’s own demanding and undulating track layout on Friday.
However, it is stablemate Sugar Island who represents the most compelling betting opportunity at what are expected to be big odds in the World Pool markets.
Sugar Island was beaten by Amelia Earhart at Chester but ran with considerable credit, racing from the front under a five-pound penalty throughout the contest.
She arguably failed to fully exploit her position at the head of affairs at Chester, and jockey Ronan Whelan will be expected to extract maximum value from her considerable talents on Friday.
Crucially, unlike many of her rivals in the field, Sugar Island is guaranteed to handle the likely soft ground conditions at Epsom, which could prove a decisive factor.
She dominated a Group Three at the Curragh in October, with Thundering On and Cameo finishing behind her, demonstrating her quality against strong opposition in testing conditions.
Sugar Island is the Win and Place selection with World Pool at likely big odds, with the trio of Ballydoyle fillies also making appeal in the World Pool Trifecta market.
Cameo has probably improved significantly since that Curragh run, as demonstrated by her dominant victory in the Lingfield Oaks Trial last month.
However, Cameo clearly relished the fast ground at Lingfield that day, and how she handles this rain-softened Epsom surface remains an open question heading into Friday.
Venetian Lace has stamina to prove over the Oaks trip, but brings strong Group One credentials, having finished third in the Guineas and second in the Fillies’ Mile.
She is by Derby winner Masar and out of a Dubawi mare who stayed ten furlongs, giving connections genuine cause for optimism regarding her ability to see out the distance.
In the earlier Group Three Diomed Stakes at 2.40pm, last year’s first and second, Persica and Ice Max, look set to renew their rivalry at the same Epsom track.
Persica ran down Ice Max to win by half a length twelve months ago, but ground conditions this time around look likely to suit the Karl Burke-trained Ice Max more favourably.
Ice Max was a winner of a Listed race on soft ground last season and should relish this test at a track where his form figures are already strong.
Ryan Moore-ridden Skukuza could also be ready to produce a significant run and is worth including alongside the leading pair in a World Pool Quinella in that earlier contest.