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easyoddstest website manager Andy Newton previews the Vodafone Oaks at Epsom.

Run the day before the Vodafone Derby on Friday the Vodafone Oaks is the highlight race on Ladies Day.

First run in 1779 and over the same course as the Epsom Derby this 1m4f Grade 1 event is for fillies only and always sees a collection of the very best female horses from around the world competing for this Classic.

Although not as busy as Derby Day itself the Friday still attracts a fair crowd and with it being Ladies Day always sees some high stakes fashion on parade around the course.

The 1,000 Guineas is always a good pointer to the chances of horses that run in the Oaks as fillies that run well in the Newmarket Classic tend to get aimed at this race and then get hyped up in the Ante post market for the Oaks. However in recent years only Kazzia for Goldolphin ridden by Frankie Dettori has actually completed the Guineas/Oaks double in the last 10 years.

Other key trial races to look out for before the Oaks are the Cheshire Oaks at Chester, the Musidora Stakes at York and the Oaks Trial at Lingfield.

Horses that win the Oaks tend to be extremely useful fillies with most of them being considered good enough to race against the colts in future big races later that season. A good example of this is the 2004 winner Ouija Board who after landing this prize has gone on to hold her own in some of the biggest races around the world including the Breeders Cup in America and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong.

In recent years top jockey Kieren Fallon has won the race three times in the last 10 runnings, with trainer Henry Cecil being the most successful trainer in the 1990's winning the race four times. Although still training, Cecil's string these days is nowhere near as powerful as it was then so the stable to probably look out for is Saeed Bin Suroor, as they have picked up three winners in the Oaks since 1994.

The betting, like the Derby, is always competitive with many Ante post movers leading up to the race, but be sure to keep the race day favourites on your side when considering a bet as they have won over half of the last ten races.