BRITISH RACING/English Oaks: Connections of Gossamer have not entered the unbeaten filly in the Epsom Oaks because of likely stamina limitations.
The Luca Cumani-trained full-sister to Breeders' Cup Mile winner Barathea had been quoted at 8 to 1 by Coral and 10 to 1 by William Hill for the Classic.
But her owner Gerald Leigh explained: "She might make 10 furlongs but she won't make the Oaks trip."
Aidan O'Brien, who has won two of the last four renewals of the race, with Shahtoush in 1998 and Imagine last season, has eight entries. They include the current ante-post 8 to 1 favourite Quarter Moon, who won last season's Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes, Navan maiden winner Kournakova and Maryinsky, who was successful in a similar event at Gowran Park in October.
Irish-trained entries amount to 15 and, in addition to O'Brien's representatives, Jim Bolger, successful in 1991 with Jet Ski Lady, has entered Aqualina.
The daughter of King's Theatre was successful at the Curragh in September while Dermot Weld, who won the fillies' Classic in 1981 with Blue Wind, has four entries including Irresistible Jewel, Luminous Beauty, Saranac Lake, the winner of the Group Three Debutante Stakes at the Curragh, and Sun Seasons.
Godolphin will be looking to build on its two previous successes, in 1994 with Balanchine and the following season with Moonshell.
Their eight entries, all trained by Saeed bin Suroor, include Imperial Gesture, who made an impressive seasonal debut in February beating stable companion Seba by nine lengths in the Moonshell Mile at Nad Al Sheba, and Silent Honor, a winner of two races as a juvenile including the Group Two Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket.
Henry Cecil, who has won four of the last six runnings of the Oaks, is responsible for seven of the 94 entries. He has won the race seven times and his entries this time include the unbeaten pair Protectress and Revealing.
•Tony Dobbin was unable to see out of his right eye on Sunday, but he certainly knew where he was going at Ayr yesterday and he completed a 4 to 1 double on Byron Lamb and To-day To-Day to leave himself only seven short of his first century.
Byron Lamb's success in the Whitletts Novices' Hurdle meant that Tony McCoy's trip across the border for one ride did not pay off as his mount Perchancer was beaten one and a half lengths and he still needs six wins to beat Sir Gordon Richards' record of 269 winners achieved on the Flat.
But as usual the champion gave his mount with every chance and even in defeat racegoers showed their appreciation of his efforts when giving him almost as good a reception as the winner on his return to the unsaddling enclosure.
Byron Lamb (4 to 6) stayed on much too resolutely for Perchancer to make it three wins from four starts this season and trainer Nicky Richards reasoned: "He is learning all time and is still a big baby really - he picked up good when McCoy came up his slipstream, but while he handles soft ground, Tony (Dobbin) said he was hating the sticky ground. "
Len Lungo's To-Day To-Day was backed to take £40,000 out of the rung in major bets and though some have labelled him inconsistent the 2 to 1 favourite was making it two wins in a row as he delivered the goods in convincing fashion in the Alloway Novices' Handicap Chase.
Dobbin suffered an injury around his right eye in a fall at Cheltenham on Wednesday and he said with a smile: "I had to have stitches above the eye and yesterday it was still closed but fortunately it has come right today and it is a long way from my heart anyway."
