Gosden sweet on Emily

EMILY UPJOHN showed she is an upwardly mobile filly when powering to the head of the Cazoo Oaks betting with a five-and-a-half-length victory in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York.

John Gosden, who trains jointly with his son Thady, paid a handsome compliment to Emily Upjohn by comparing her to The Fugue, his 2012 Musidora winner who went on to be an unlucky-in-running third behind Was in The Oaks.

Emily Upjohn, who was well bought for £63,000 and named after a character in the Marx Brothers film A Day At The Races, was running for only the third time.

The daughter of Sea The Stars is now 13-8 favourite with Sky Bet to give the Gosden team a fourth Oaks and her jockey Frankie Dettori a seventh win in the Epsom Classic on June 3.

Gosden said: ‘I would say she is in that class (of The Fugue). It was a nice solid field and she has picked up well. It looks like a mile and a half will be right up her alley. There is plenty of stamina in her family. She is a tall girl but she has great balance.’

To allow Emily Upjohn to get accustomed to the Epsom gradients she will be taken to the ‘Breakfast With Stars’ event a week on Monday to exercise around Tattenham Corner.

Dettori said: ‘She is still learning and she is getting there. Every race she is improving. She has won a trial by five-and-a-half lengths so I am delighted.’

Highfield Princess, trained by John Quinn, has the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in her sights after winning the 1895 Duke Of York Stakes under Jason Hart.