Unless Thundering On can oblige for Joseph O'Brien, or perhaps Venetian Lace for Charlie Johnston, then there will be a familar name on the trophy for the 2026 Betfred Oaks, with three trainers who each have previous in the Epsom Classic being responsible for the remaining seven runners between them.Aidan O'Brien is triple-handed in his quest for a remarkable 12th Oaks victory, likewise Ralph Beckett, who struck first with Look Here in 2008 and then Talent in 2013. More recently, O'Brien and the Gosdens have dominated, with all but one (Ezeliya in 2024) of the past 12 editions being won by one of those two powerhouse stables. The score during that period is 7-4 in favour of the Ballydoyle battalions, but the team at Clarehaven Stables will be optimistic of returning fire on Friday with Musidora winner Legacy Link.Beckett's A La Prochaine is the only one of the nine runners to have previously been offered at public auction, with the remainder representing owner-breeders, both big and small. Coolmore's Amelia Earhart and Juddmonte's Legacy Link appear the most likely headliners, but don't discount Beckett's other two runners – K Sarra and On Message – for small breeders who consistently punch above their weight in the Aykroyds and the Forman Hardys, respectively.A LA PROCHAINE (FR)Lope De Vega – Margie's Music (Hurricane Run)Drawn: 2Form: 1-3OR: 98Bred by Ecurie du Sud and Ecurie Gribomont, A La Prochaine first changed hands as a foal when bought for €220,000 at Arqana. She then found her way into the Wathnan Racing fold after being picked up for 550,000gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.Less than three years after Wathnan Racing first burst onto the scene with two winners at Royal Ascot, A La Prochaine is the filly tasked with trying to provide the ever-growing operation with a breakthrough British Classic victory, with her eye-catching effort in last month's Listed Cheshire Oaks suggesting she's no forlorn hope to do so. Admittedly, she has over three lengths to make up on the winner, Amelia Earhart, but the way she stayed on was encouraging, while softer ground than she encountered on the Roodee will hold no fears if the manner of her debut win at Newbury is anything to go by.Can A La Prochaine go one place better than her half-brother, Mr Hollywood (Iquitos), who chased home Fantastic Moon in the 2023 G1 Deutsches Derby? Mr Hollywood had previously won the G3 Bavarian Classic, while this filly is also a full-sister to the G3 Derby-Trial runner-up Magical Beat, from a family that has mostly plied its trade in Germany.AMELIA EARHART (IRE)Camelot – Venus De Milo (Duke Of Marmalade)Drawn: 4Form: 32241-1OR: 105The Coolmore homebred proved a work in progress as a two-year-old, but she signed off in style when getting off the mark at the fifth attempt, winning by seven lengths at Leopardstown. She then returned to action with a dominant defeat of the highly-touted I'm The One (Sea The Stars) in the Cheshire Oaks, looking every inch a leading contender for this Classic, whilst sporting the rather unusual combination of blinkers and a hood which is retained on Friday. Described by Aidan O'Brien as having “a kink in her”, she nonetheless appeals as the Ballydoyle trainer's best chance of registering his 12th Oaks victory.On pedigree, Amelia Earhart promises to have more to offer as her stamina is drawn out further. Her dam counted the G3 Give Thanks Stakes and G3 Munster Oaks among her four career wins, while she also filled the runner-up spot in the G1 Irish Oaks, G1 Yorkshire Oaks and G1 Pretty Polly Stakes. Amelia Earhart is her third winner from four runners, with the others including the G2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup and Chester Cup hero Cleveland, also by Camelot.CAMEO (IRE)Wootton Bassett – Zagitova (Galileo)Drawn: 9Form: 0314-51OR: 104Ryan Moore has deserted Cameo in favour of Amelia Earhart, but we've already seen on more than one occasion this season that it's folly to discount the apparent second string from Ballydoyle. In pure form terms, Cameo doesn't have much to find with Amelia Earhart, either, having been similarly impressive when warming up for this test with a near-five-length triumph in the Listed Oaks Trial Fillies' Stakes at Lingfield, with the markedly longer trip seeming to work the oracle after she'd looked rather exposed in five previous starts.The Coolmore homebred's stamina for this even longer trip looks assured as a half-sister to Portland (Dubawi), whose two Listed wins included the King George V Cup over 1m4f. Zagitova, who produced her best effort when finishing third in the G2 Debutante Stakes, is by Galileo, but it's a relatively speedy family otherwise. Indeed, Zagitova herself is a half-sister to the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest-winning sire Garswood, while their dam, the unraced Kyllachy mare Penchant, is a half-sister to the G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes winner and G1 Coronation Stakes runner-up Infallible (Pivotal). Infallible, in turn, is the dam of the dual G2 Summer Mile Stakes scorer Mutakayyef (Sea The Stars) and G1 Falmouth Stakes heroine Veracious (Frankel).K SARRA (GB)New Bay – Parnell's Dream (Oasis Dream)Drawn: 6Form: 1-03OR: 100Hopes were high 12 months ago that Pride Of Arras could register a popular success in the Derby for his owner-breeders, David and Vimy Aykroyd. Alas, it wasn't to be, but he proved himself a high-class performer away from Epsom last year with a brace of Group 2 wins at York, in the Dante Stakes and Great Voltigeur Stakes.Now, the Aykroyds can look forward to a second tilt at Classic glory with K Sarra, a full-sister to Pride Of Arras who took a big step forward when finishing third in last month's G3 Musidora Stakes on the Knavesmire, making good late headway to pass the post a little over two lengths behind Legacy Link. She subsequently had a taste of Epsom when taking part in the Betfred Derby Gallops Morning, while both her pedigree and the way shaped in the Musidora suggest the extra distance here will be right up her street.The dam is out of the Listed Park Express Stakes scorer Kitty O'Shea (Sadler's Wells), a full-sister to the St Leger-winning sire Brian Boru and a half to the multiple Group 2-winning sire Sea Moon. This is also the family of the 2010 Derby hero Workforce.LEGACY LINK (GB)Dubawi – Chiasma (Galileo)Drawn: 1Form: 314-1OR: 105Pedigrees simply don't come much better than that of Legacy Link. The Juddmonte homebred is the first foal out of her winning dam, a full-sister to none other than Frankel, plus the multiple Group 1-winning sire Noble Mission. Chiasma is also a three-parts sister to Frankel's long-time pacemaker Bullet Train (Sadler's Wells) who, in a previous life, trailed home last of the 12 runners in Workforce's Derby after winning the G3 Derby Trial Stakes at Lingfield. Among the other middle-distance heavyweights on this glittering page is the dual Group/Grade 1-winning sire Powerscourt, a half-brother to this filly's second dam, Kind (Danehill).No pressure, then, but Legacy Link has certainly gone a long way towards living up to her sparkling pedigree thus far. She showed promise in three starts as a two-year-old, notably finishing fourth in the G1 Fillies' Mile, before taking her form up a notch with a tenacious victory in the Musidora. Another to acquaint herself with the unique Epsom undulations at the Betfred Derby Gallops Morning, she will be suited by this longer trip and couldn't be in better hands as the Gosden stable seeks its fifth success in this Classic since 2014.ON MESSAGE (GB)Camelot – Wiener Valkyrie (Shamardal)Drawn: 7Form: 451-13OR: 99Joining A La Prochaine and K Sarra in a three-pronged attack for the Ralph Beckett yard, On Message looks up against it with the form principals, though the extra distance here could well prove the catalyst for significant improvement. Indeed, she looked to be crying out for further when last seen finishing a never-nearer third in the Listed Height Of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood, while she also has valuable experience of the track, having won an Epsom handicap from a BHA mark of 80 on her previous start.Bred by Nicholas and Jane Forman Hardy of Car Colston Hall Stud and sporting the colours of The Eclipse Partnership, On Message is one of three winners from four runners out of the GIII Athenia Stakes runner-up Wiener Valkyrie, with the others including the Listed Fleur De Lys Stakes third Declared Interest (Declaration Of War). Wiener Valkyrie, in turn, is a half-sister to the G1 Racing Post Trophy winning-sire Crowded House, who finished sixth in the 2009 Derby won by Sea The Stars.SUGAR ISLAND (IRE)Dubawi – Heaven On Earth (Galileo)Drawn: 3Form: 15391-4OR: 104The Coolmore homebred is out of a winning full-sister to a pair of Oaks winners in Minding and Tuesday, plus the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Empress Josephine and G3 1,000 Guineas Trial scorer Kissed By Angels. Heaven On Earth has made a promising start to life in the paddocks, too, with her other winners to date including the exciting two-year-old Victorious (Wootton Bassett), who was successful in last month's G3 Fillies Sprint Stakes, and the G3 Give Thanks Stakes second Mother Nature (Justify).Sugar Island herself has shown a solid level of form, including when finishing fourth in the Cheshire Oaks after seven months off. That will have blown the cobwebs away for a filly who improved with racing as a juvenile, notably winning the G3 Staffordstown Stud Stakes at the Curragh on her final start. Here, however, jockey bookings suggest that she's below both Amelia Earhart and Cameo in the Ballydoyle pecking order.THUNDERING ON (GB)Frankel – Thundering Nights (Night Of Thunder)Drawn: 5Form: 42-21OR: 107Shapoor Mistry's homebred shed her maiden tag in the best possible fashion when winning April's G3 Salsabil Stakes at Navan by over three lengths in impressive fashion. She was forced to wait for a gap over a furlong out, but the way that she powered to the line once in the clear suggests that the step up to 1m4f at Epsom could unlock further improvement.Indian native Mistry only has six horses in training in Europe, as documented in these pages earlier in the week, but he's had the Midas touch of late with a series of notable winners coming his way. Now, the owner-breeder goes in search of his most significant success yet with Thundering On, who would certainly be a poignant winner as the only foal out of Mistry's breakthrough Group 1 scorer, Thundering Nights, who won the 2021 Pretty Polly Stakes.Going further back, Thundering On's fourth dam, the G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes heroine and G1 Prix Vermeille runner-up Cloud Castle (In The Wings), is a half-sister to the top-level winners Luso and Warrsan. The latter enjoyed some of his best days at Epsom with back-to-back victories in the Coronation Cup.VENETIAN LACE (IRE)Masar – Nash Nasha (Dubawi)Drawn: 8Form: 144362-3OR: 110On official ratings, Venetian Lace brings the strongest form credentials to the table following her third-place finish in last month's 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket. With that in mind, it's perhaps surprising to see her currently trading at double-figure odds, especially as her trainer, Charlie Johnson, seems adamant that she'll improve for a step up in trip. Regardless, she's a filly who has consistently defied market expectations, having been sent off at 33/1 for the 1,000 Guineas and 40/1 when occupying the runner-up spot in last year's G1 Fillies' Mile.Bred by Godolphin and racing in the colours of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Venetian Lace is by the 2018 Derby winner Masar, while there is Classic form on the distaff side of her pedigree, too. Her Listed-winning dam is a half-sister to the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas scorer Just The Judge (Lawman), while High Heeled (High Chaparral), a half-sister to Venetian Lace's third dam, Faraday Light (Rainbow Quest), won the G3 St. Simon Stakes after finishing third in the 2009 edition of the Oaks.The post The Betfred Oaks Pedigree and Form Notebook appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.