THE third classic of the Flat season, the Investec Oaks, will be run on perfect ground at Epsom today with Clerk of the Course Andrew Cooper describing the turf as good, good to soft in places, but with a dry day forecast.

Irish 1000 Guineas winner Marvellous is the 11/4 favourite to give trainer Aidan O’Brien his fifth win in the race, and son Joseph a first Oaks success, but she is far from certain to stay the 12f trip on breeding and is overlooked.

Preference is for the only two unbeaten fillies’ in the race Taghrooda and Madame Chiang (4.00) and the latter gets the each way nod at 14/1 with BetVictor.

A 33/1 winner of her sole start at Yarmouth as a juvenile the selection landed the Musidora at York last month over the extended ten furlongs and the further she went the better she looked.

William Buick will be the third different jockey in as many races for the David Simcock trained daughter of Archipenko and any further rogue showers would help given both her wins were gained on ground officially described as soft.

It has not been a great time for the Hills family with trainer John Hills losing a short battle with cancer earlier in the week, but brother Charlie can land the opening Princess Elizabeth Stakes with Just The Judge (1.35) a 7/2 shot with BetVictor.

The selection finished runner up in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket last year before going one better in the Irish equivalent. Her form tailed off subsequently, but she shaped with plenty of promise when keen on her reappearance back at Newmarket and this easier ground should suit.

Roger Charlton’s Thistle Bird won the corresponding race last year and is the 5/2 favourite for back-to-back wins in this Group 3 event, but if back to her very best Just The Judge might just have a bit too much class for this field and is taken to give the Hills family a welcome winner.

There is plenty of pace in the 10f handicap which follows, and that might suit the lightly-raced Air Pilot (2.10) at the foot of the weights for Ralph Beckett. There is little between top-weight Tres Coronas and the selection on a line through the progressive Clever Cookie but the selection has only had three career starts and, hopefully, he will get the fast run race he will need at this trip.

Abseil (3.20) was taken out of a race at Sandown last week on account of the soft ground but conditions should be fine underfoot for the 4-yold who has been backed off the boards (20s into 10s at BetVictor) in recent days for the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot later in the month.

That Is The Spirit (4.45) is unbeaten in two starts and must be followed until he meets with defeat having looked a Group horse when scoring at York last time. His forecast price is 2/1 and that looks reasonable although one of these days it will all click into place for the frustrating Parbold who is one of two runners, other Silver Treasure, fitted with a hood for the first-time this afternoon.

No surprise to see Kafeel (5.20) drop back in trip having looked a non-stayer at Kempton over a mile last time on his handicap debut for Roger Varian. The selection has only had three career starts, one on turf, and Epsom’s idiosyncrasies might find out one so inexperienced, but he travelled like a good horse last time and is entitled to come on for the run.