King and Queen bid for first Classic success in Oaks with 16-1 shot Treasure

The King and Queen will bid to record a first Classic victory in the Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday.

They are the joint owners of Treasure, a 16-1 chance who was bred by Queen Elizabeth II and is trained by Ralph Beckett.

King Charles and Queen Camilla last had a runner in a Classic when Desert Hero contested the St Leger at Doncaster last September.

The royal owners were at Doncaster to see the colt, who during the summer provided them with their first Royal Ascot win, finish third.

The late Queen Elizabeth enjoyed one of her most memorable Classic successes in the Oaks when Dunfermline landed the prize in 1977, the year of the Silver Jubilee, and went on to add the St Leger.

Treasure, fourth in the Lingfield Oaks Trial who will be ridden by James Doyle, will be one of four runners trained by Beckett in a field of 12 runners, headed by the Aidan O’Brien trained pair Ylang Ylang and Rubies Are Red.

She will be joined by Lingfield Oaks Trial winner You Got To Me, Cheshire Oaks winner Forest Fairy and the Cheshire Oaks third Seaward in a bigger team than Beckett has ever saddled in any race.

Beckett, who has won the Oaks twice, said: “We’ve done quite well in the race before, but it’s a long time since I won it last with Talent, and since then nobody but Aidan O’Brien and the Gosdens has won. We’ve had plenty of tries since, but this feels like our best chance.

“Forest Fairy was very backward and immature and she had an issue at two and so didn’t come to us until October.

“We were surprised that she was able to win like that first time out (by six lengths at Wolverhampton), and then because her work on turf at home was good we decided to take her to Chester for the trial. You would hope she’d come forward again for that, based on her inexperience.

“We’ll do a few things differently to manage You Got To Me, and we’ll be putting some different kit in her mouth. She did well to hold on at Lingfield after going so hard, although Aidan’s filly Rubies Are Red came from Brighton virtually and will be tough to beat.

“Seaward has trained well since the Cheshire Oaks and I was quite keen to come. I’d be less keen on her chance if the ground is slower than good.

“As for Treasure, we had been edging more towards the Ribblesdale, but we’ve had a change of heart.

“She’s trained very well since then, and ground on the easy side will be in her favour. It will be very exciting to have a runner in a Classic for the King and the Queen.”