James Owen could saddle his first Classic runner if Ambiente Amigo proves she is up to the task of running in the Betfred Oaks during the early stages of the new Flat season.

Owned by the Gredley Family, the daughter of Postponed was trained by Michael Bell as a two-year-old, impressing when twice scoring at Lingfield in maiden and novice company.

Immediately upped to the highest level, she was partnered by Frankie Dettori when finishing her season in the Fillies’ Mile.

Although failing to land a blow in that Group One event, it served notice of connections’ big-race intentions and having crossed Newmarket to Owen’s Green Ridge Stables, Ambiente Amigo is being prepared for her impending return during the town’s Craven meeting later this month.

“We’ve done a lot of work with her and she’s working to a very good level at home,” said Owen.

“It’s been hard trying to find a race for her really and there’s been nothing really suitable for a three-year-old filly with her mark.

“We’re probably going to start her off over a mile and two furlongs up at the Craven meeting, either in a handicap or something a little bit deeper.”

A five-time UK Arabian champion trainer and well-known pre-trainer, Owen has made an immediate impression since taking out a licence, overseeing the successful transition to hurdles of the Gredleys’ Royal Ascot scorer Burdett Road.

Now he is looking forward to making his mark on the Flat during the summer months and having taken great pleasure in making the Epsom entry for Ambiente Amigo, will be aiming to prepare the three-year-old for Classic action on the Surrey Downs later in the summer.

“She’s going to have to improve and get on an upwards curve, but it’s exciting to put those entries in,” continued Owen.

“She’s got the pedigree to stay and likes a little bit of soft ground. The way she works we think she will stay, which is why we put that entry in (for the Oaks).

“She is being trained with that in mind and hopefully we can get a run into her before going to one of the prep races – probably Chester or Lingfield – and that is the aim. I do want to get a run into her before the trial races.

“We’re all enjoying it and we’ll be trying our best.”

Plans remain fluid for Soul Sister following her Betfred Oaks triumph at Epsom last week.

Disappointing in a soft ground Fred Darling at Newbury on her three-year-old debut, the Frankel filly bounced back with a surprise victory in the Musidora Stakes at York last month.

Soul Sister proved that was no fluke by clinching Classic glory on the Surrey Downs a week ago under Frankie Dettori and she holds an entry in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.

However, while joint-trainer Thady Gosden reports the three-year-old to have taken her Epsom exertions well, connections have not got as far as finalising the next plan of attack.

“She’s come out of it well. Obviously every Classic is a hard race, but she seems happy and well in herself at home,” said Gosden.

“We’ll see how she is, but it was fantastic to win the Oaks with her.”

On the other side of the coin there was disappointment for the Gosden team ahead of the Oaks, with their other leading contender Running Lion withdrawn on veterinary advice just seconds before the off after kicking the back gate of the starting stalls.

The daughter of Roaring Lion is set to bid for compensation and redemption in the French equivalent, the Prix de Diane, at Chantilly on Sunday week.

“It was obviously frustrating with Running Lion, it was sort of a freak event really. The plan is for her to go to France, I think,” Gosden added.

There comes a point when you think Frankie Dettori is writing his own scripts. And we are surely approaching that now, after the magical Italian added the Betfred Oaks on Soul Sister to the 2000 Guineas he won on Chaldean, begging the question ‘why retire?’.

Just for good measure Dettori also won the day’s other Group One contest at Epsom, the Dahlbury Coronation Cup, with Emily Upjohn – and ended the afternoon as favourite to be crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Both winners were trained by John and Thady Gosden.

There were joyous scenes following both victories. Dettori was delighted to have won the Coronation Cup for the Lloyd Webbers, part-owners of the filly and long-standing patrons at the Gosden yard, after she was so narrowly denied in the Oaks 12 months ago.

And while Group Ones are not to be sniffed at, especially in your final year, it is the Classics the game is built around and for what jockeys are really remembered.

This was Dettori’s seventh Oaks to go with four wins each in the 1000 and 2000 Guineas, six St Legers and two Derbys – more of that later.

“Emily was incredible, I didn’t expect that. Then in the Oaks – she’s a good filly,” said the 52-year-old.

Listening to Dettori explaining his thought process through a race is like a teaching from a master, and he clearly still gets a great kick out of it.

He said: “It was a bit messy in the beginning and she took a while to organise, I had to bite the bullet. She jumped good and I was looking for somebody’s wheel to follow as I didn’t want to be stuck wide.

“I wanted to slot in behind Ryan (Moore, on favourite Savethelastdance), but William (Buick, on Eternal Hope) was there before me. I thought with Oisin (Murphy, on the withdrawn Running Lion) out of the way the ones to beat were Ryan and William, so I parked myself behind William to get her to relax.

“Nearly out of Tattenham Corner William’s horse just dived in front of me so I thought, given she only had a little experience, if I went wide at least I would have clean air.”

He went on: “I then had to avoid the other pacemaker and swing even wider and the Connor (Beasley on Caernarfon) came upsides me.

“I didn’t ask for my filly’s ultimate effort and I was telling myself to bide my time, I sat quiet between the three (furlong marker) and the one and a half and then I was just hoping if I pressed the button she’d go. And she did go! It was good relief. The track wasn’t to her liking, but she showed so much class.”

Of course, there has been no bigger showman in racing since Dettori came over to England from Italy in the late 1980s and just a few years later he was a household name.

Quite what the sport will do to fill the void when he retires later this is still up for debate. He remains the biggest marketing tool out there by a long way and the publicity of his farewell season, with him still at the top of his game, cannot be bought.

“I was able to enjoy the screaming of all of the crowd and I couldn’t believe I’d won another Oaks! I was able to enjoy it and I loved it as I knew I’d won,” he said.

“Usually when you win the Oaks they give you an oak tree, the last one I got for Snowfall my dog decided to play with it and ripped it around the garden, so I could do with a new tree!

“When I passed them all I knew as I’d come from the back, I knew there was nobody behind me. You don’t get many opportunities to celebrate like that – maybe with Snowfall who was 20 lengths clear – but all the owners are here and all the gang so to go home and say I’ve done a 100 per cent job is great.”

However good the Oaks is, one race above all others in Flat racing is king. The Betfred Derby may be under well-documented threat from animal rights protesters, but if Frankie Dettori has his way there will an Arrest of a different kind on the front pages.

“At the moment things are going well, but you can easily mess up in this game! Five months is a long time,” he said when asked why he was calling it a day.

“If I stay one more year I might get close to Lester’s (Piggott) 30 (Classics) – I’m joking! It’s mental, it’s incredible. I’ve had three good rides this weekend, Emily, Soul Sister and Arrest. To get two in the bag with one to go is incredible, I’m very excited about tomorrow. John’s horses, as you can see, are on fire and let’s hope it continues to tomorrow.”

Jack Channon was far from downhearted after coming within two lengths of Betfred Oaks glory with Caernarfon in his first season with a training licence.

Channon took over from his father Mick at West Ilsley at the start of the year, and has wasted little time in making his presence felt in the fillies’ Classics, with Caernarfon having also taken a fine fourth in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket last month.

Stepping up to 12 furlongs for the first time at Epsom, Channon thought he might be about to enjoy a dream start to his training career as Caernarfon briefly grabbed the lead two furlongs out.

However, the unstoppable Frankie Dettori – landing his second Group One of the day – delivered Soul Sister with a perfectly-timed challenge to secure the honours, with Caernarfon touched off a head by Savethelastdance for second.

The 40-1 shot could now drop back in distance after delighting Channon with her run.

He said: “I thought she was going to win two out, but then I saw Frankie was cantering as well. She’s a very good filly, I’ll see what Connor (Beasley, jockey) says but she tanked herself into the race, had every chance and she’s probably just been outstayed by two stayers.

“She’s a very good filly and has run a belter. She’ll probably drop back to 10 furlongs but I’ll have a chat with Connor and let the dust settle.

“I couldn’t be happier – apart from if she’d won.”

Beasley was equally as thrilled, adding: “She travelled lovely into the race. Coming away down Tattenham Corner she came underneath me really good and I thought, ‘I’ve just got to try to pick a way through’. She obviously hit the front and I don’t think she’s quite seen it out.

“But it was amazing, what she’s just done there, and I think we’ve got a very nice filly to go to war with.

“I can’t thank Jack and Mick Channon enough and the owners – they’ve stood by me with her.”

Savethelastdance was sent off the 5-6 favourite on the back of her wide-margin Cheshire Oaks victory, one that came on deep ground as opposed to the much quicker Epsom conditions.

Her trainer Aidan O’Brien offered no excuses in defeat, saying: “She has run well but she obviously handles soft ground and stays very well.

“We were very happy with her really. She has a lot of options and we can do whatever.

“Ryan (Moore) was very happy and said she ran a good race. She stayed on very well. The winner was a bit quicker than her on the better ground, but she ran well. She ran a great race but she was beaten by a very classy filly.

“Ryan said she was not finished going to the line and that she was still going strong. A furlong out she looked like she was going to be third, but she stayed on well to be second.

“We will take her home and nothing is ruled in or out.”

Maman Joon, who had finished second on her only previous start at Newbury, defied her odds of 50-1 to take a distant fourth for jockey Kevin Stott and trainer Richard Hannon.

The rider said: “It was a really good run on just her second start. She will be going places and we like her a lot. I was riding for luck more than anything and it turned out the way I wanted.

“They just quickened up a bit quicker than I did, but that is probably down to her inexperience. It was a good run. I think there is a nice prize in her.”

There had been drama at the start when Running Lion, a stablemate of the winner, kicked out in the stalls before backing out and breaking free, leaving Oisin Murphy stranded and forcing her withdrawal from the race.

John Gosden is now targeting quick compensation in France, as long as the filly recovers sufficiently.

He said: “Running Lion has never done anything wrong before – she’s a pussycat. She got her leg caught in the gate and cut it, so they had to take her out, and then she got loose.

“We’ll get her right and then take her for the Prix de Diane in 16 days’ time.”

Murphy added: “She just kicked the back gates open.”

David Menuisier is confident a step up in trip can help Heartache Tonight hit the big time when she races in the UK for the first time in the Betfred Oaks on Friday.

A €160,000 purchase as a yearling, she is a half-sister to two-time Group One-winner Wonderful Tonight, Menuisier’s former stable star.

The daughter of Recorder now has the chance to step out of her sibling’s shadow and she heads to Epsom with an encouraging book of form in France to her name, placing in the Prix Cleopatre and beaten less than two lengths when a close-up fourth in the Prix Saint-Alary last time out.

Despite bringing that Group One form to the table, Heartache Tonight is still available for the Oaks at odds as big as 33-1.

But her handler is not fussed by her outsider status, with Cristian Demuro set to continue his association with the filly having ridden her in all three starts so far.

“I don’t mind being overlooked, that is the story of my life, but it won’t stop her from running well,” said Menuisier.

“It was a great effort in the Prix Saint-Alary and she has been craving the step up to a mile and a half. We decided to keep her at one-mile-two to try to gain more experience and more tactical speed and we are delighted so far.

“Cristian Demuro will come and ride. We get on well and he’s our go-to man when we go to France. He absolutely loves the filly and the schedule wasn’t too busy for him, so he’s really delighted to keep the ride on her.”

So far, all of Heartache Tonight’s appearances have come on ground described as soft or slower, but Menuisier is hopeful she might not be as ground dependant as her illustrious mud-loving half-sister ahead of her bid for Classic honours.

“We’re just hoping the ground isn’t too quick, we’re hoping for genuine good ground,” continued Menuisier.

“She seems different to the half-sister – she was really designed for soft ground and had a very high knee action.

“Heartache tonight is a bit more elegant, she moves much better, so we like to believe she might not need it as soft. Obviously she will handle soft/heavy conditions later in the year probably better than most, but if she could handle quicker ground then that is a definite plus.”

The handler also feels her performance in the Prix Saint-Alary shows she has the potential to match Wonderful Tonight’s achievements on track.

Menuisier added: “At the moment she is showing the right signs and is a little bit above Wonderful Tonight as she would have been unable to perform good over one-mile-two at Group One level in the spring.

“So whether the finished article will be ahead of the sister, it would be lovely to think so, but she has a serious challenge ahead of her, so we will see.”

Savethelastdance heads a field of 11 declared for the Betfred Oaks on Friday when she will bid to give Aidan O’Brien his fourth straight victory in the Epsom Classic.

The daughter of Galileo has been favourite for the fillies’ showpiece ever since decimating the opposition in the Cheshire Oaks earlier this month and heads to Epsoms in anticipation of faring much better in the 12 furlong event than her dam Daddys Lil Darling who bolted to post during a thunderstorm, unshipped Olivier Peslier and was subsequently withdrawn in 2017.

As well as Savethelastdance, O’Brien will also saddle Be Happy and Red Riding Hood in his attempt to secure Oaks win number 11 and continue his domination of the Friday feature.

John and Thady Gosden are responsible for what the bookmakers feel will be Savethelastdance’s biggest challenge saddling both Pretty Polly winner Roaring Lion and Musidora scorer Soul Sister, the latter the mount of Frankie Dettori in his final Oaks outing before retirement.

Supplementary entry and Lingfield trial winner Eternal Hope is entrusted with trying to provide Charlie Appleby with his first Oaks success, while Heartache Tonight is an interesting contender for David Menuisier having finished a close-up fourth in the Prix Saint-Alary.

Jack Channon’s 1000 Guineas fourth Caernarfon steps up in trip from a mile for her first start since Newmarket, while Maman Joon (Richard Hannon), Sea Of Roses (Andrew Balding) and Bright Diamond (Karl Burke) are the others heading to the mile-and-a-half start on Friday afternoon.

The other Group One on the card is the Dahlbury Coronation Cup where Westover will look to erase the demons of his troubled run in last year’s Derby.

Ralph Beckett’s Frankel colt was a somewhat unlucky loser behind Desert Crown 12 months ago, but gained compensation in the Irish equivalent and arrives on the back of a fine run to finish second in the Dubai Sheema Classic in March.

Emily Upjohn was another to be narrowly denied in her quest for Classic success in 2022 and reappears having opened her Group One account in the autumn, while Hurricane Lane is Godolphin’s chosen representative having bounced back to his best in the Jockey Club Stakes.

Ballydoyle’s Point Lonsdale is unbeaten in two starts this term and races over 12 furlongs for the first time, with Tunnes an interesting raider from Germany rounding off a select field of five.

Caernarfon is reminding Jack Channon of some of the great fillies of his past ahead of her tilt at the Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday.

The daughter of Cityscape provided Channon’s father Mick with success in the Montrose Fillies’ Stakes last autumn and it would be somewhat fitting if she was to build on her 1000 Guineas fourth and provide the younger Channon with a Classic victory in his first season since taking over the training licence at West Ilsley.

As well as assisting his father, Channon has previously spent time working for Clive Brittain, and having been encouraged by what he has seen from Caernarfon since Newmarket, is now looking forward to her next big-race assignment, believing she compares favourably with some former top-class fillies.

“We’re really excited and she ran an absolute belter in the 1000 Guineas,” said Channon.

“I’ve been very lucky to have been around some very good fillies in the shape of Rizeena and obviously some of dad’s very good fillies – Samitar, Queen’s Logic, Music Show, Nahoodh and all those – and it’s very exciting to have one again. They are very hard to come by, but she gives me a similar feel to some of those good ones.”

Caernarfon was staying on strongly in the closing stages of the 1000 Guineas but will now have to prove her stamina as she takes the leap up to a mile and a half on the Downs.

However, Channon has always felt she would benefit from tackling further than a mile and is quietly confident she will take the challenge of the Oaks in her stride.

He continued: “Her work has taken a step up since Newmarket and she did a wonderful piece of work on Friday that has got everyone very excited. We’re quietly hopeful she stays.

“We felt going into the Guineas she would benefit from going up to a mile and a quarter. It’s one of those where we don’t know if she will stay a mile and a half but she has all the assets to and she looks a stayer physically, even if her pedigree doesn’t reflect that.

“The way she runs and the way she races will say there is a chance and she looks to have improved a bundle since the Guineas.

“Her work has improved immeasurably and her well-being and her coat and everything else, I couldn’t be happier with. We’re excited to give it a whirl.”

Connections of smart filly Bluestocking have not ruled out the possibility she could still run in the Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday week.

The daughter of Camelot won a decent Salisbury novice over a mile on her debut in September and made her return in the Listed Haras De Bouquetot Fillies’ Trial Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

The Ralph Beckett-trained filly was sent off favourite under Rossa Ryan for the 10-furlong contest, but was beaten a head by Warm Heart and Ryan Moore.

A general 12-1 chance for the Oaks, the Juddmonte-owned Bluestocking also holds entries in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot and both the Group One Pretty Polly at the Curragh and the Irish Oaks in July.

Barry Mahon, Juddmonte’s European racing manager, said the Epsom door is being kept open.

“Plans are pretty fluid. We’ll see how she comes out of the race,” he said.

“Ralph will decide. It is more unlikely than likely. It is not impossible, but we’ll see how she trains in the next week.

“She is an exciting filly going forward and she ran a good race on Saturday. We are very much not ruling it out, but as we all know, it is probably not an ideal preparation for her.

“If she doesn’t go to Epsom, she will go to the Ribblesdale. Ralph was happy with her on Sunday morning and he said let’s keep an open mind for next week and see what happens, so that’s where we’re at.”

Haskoy, who took the Group Three Al Rayyan Stakes by a short head from Israr on the same card, could head to the Ascot Gold Cup.

Connections are unsure if the four-year-old, who was having her seasonal bow following three runs last term, culminating in a two-length defeat in the St Leger – will get the two-and-a-half-mile trip.

“It was a lovely run,” said Mahon. “She is a lovely mare, so genuine, so tough. We’ll just keep an open mind and will see how she trains, and we’ll think about Gold Cups closer to the time.

“The problem with the Gold Cup is no one really knows, until you actually try it, if you’ll stay.

“Ralph is happy enough that he thinks she’ll stay. Personally, I’m a little bit doubtful, but if it is deemed the right thing to do, we’re game and we’ll give it a go.

“We’re not trying to protect any stud values or anything. If Ralph and Frankie (Dettori) decided it was the right thing to do, we’ll possibly give it a go.

“It is tough for a four-year-old filly who has only had four runs.

“The good thing with her is that she is so genuine, so tough, there is no mental fragility. She is just a tough, genuine mare.”

Frankie Dettori’s farewell season continues to provide big-race winners and the Italian could have found himself the perfect partner for the Betfred Oaks as Soul Sister romped to Tattersalls Musidora Stakes victory at York.

A winner on debut at Doncaster at two, the John and Thady Gosden-trained daughter of Frankel was never involved in the Fred Darling when making her return to the track at Newbury last month.

However, she thrived for the step up to 10 furlongs in this renowned Epsom trial and having been ridden patiently as the main protagonists of Infinite Cosmos, Gather Ye Rosebuds and Novakai were all prominent in the early stages, no filly was travelling better as the runners straightened for home.

Still to ask his mount for maximum effort as the rest of the field came under a drive, Dettori soon pushed the button and the response was immediate with the 18-1 winner storming clear of her rivals to record a clear-cut four-length success.

The Gosdens and Dettori combined to win this with Emily Upjohn 12 months ago before being narrowly denied at Epsom and Soul Sister is now a 5-1 chance with Coral and 4-1 with both Betfair and Paddy Power to hit the target in the fillies’ Classic on June 2.