A high-pressure 24 hours that could see Aidan O'Brien take his place in racing's most prestigious roll of honour begins this afternoon when Imagine is likely to start favourite to win the Vodafone Epsom Oaks.
Already a classic winner from the Irish 1,000 Guineas, Imagine's main threat could come from the royal filly, Flight Of Fancy, who will try and give Kieren Fallon some compensation for missing tomorrow's Derby through suspension.
It is the Derby that is focussing the formidable energies at O'Brien's famous Ballydoyle stables, and the trainer yesterday went through the formalities of putting all his blueriband eggs firmly into the basket of the unbeaten Galileo.
His withdrawal of Ice Dancer, along with the defection of Godolphin's Wareed, means that just 12 colts, the smallest Derby field since Nashwan in 1989, will face the starter tomorrow.
O'Brien has yet to win the most famous flat race in the world, but he did land the Oaks with Shahtoush three years ago. If both his classic hopes succeed, the 31-year-old will join such luminaries as Henry Cecil and Dick Hern who have completed the Oaks-Derby double in the same year.
O'Brien expressed little concern at the prospect of good to firm ground for the Derby and similarly for Imagine's Oaks tilt. "Nobody could ask for any better than good to firm ground in the circumstances. If it is genuinely good to firm, that will be fine ," said O'Brien yesterday. "The mile-and-a-half trip is unknown territory for Imagine, but we have been very happy with her preparation and we are hopeful."
There is also the encouragement and experience of having won the fillies' classic in the past, and O'Brien said: "Shahtoush ran second in a Guineas before winning the Oaks. Imagine has won a Guineas very impressively. Her first target this season was always the Irish Guineas and her second was the Epsom Oaks."
There will be no more determined classic player than Fallon, however. Missing out on Golan in the Derby means there will be even more pressure on him in the Oaks, especially since his performance on Flight Of Fancy in the Musidora at York was heavily criticised by Queen Elizabeth's racing manager, Lord Carnarvon.
Fallon will also be in the hot seat on last year's Irish Oaks winner, Petrushka, in the Coronation Cup, where the filly faces just five opponents.
The atmosphere at Kilbeggan this evening will be slightly less rarefied, but the feature handicap chase can go to the course and distance winner, Ojay, while last season's top claimer, Kieran Kelly, can also score on Just Ask Me.
