Cecil duo top Oaks field

Henry Cecil’s strongly-fancied duo Aviate and Timepiece feature among a final field of 15 runners in the Investec Oaks at Epsom on Friday.

The Warren Place maestro has a fantastic record in the fillies’ Classic having trained no less than eight winners including the likes of Oh So Sharp (1985) and most recently Light Shift (2007).

Aviate is the chosen mount of stable jockey Tom Queally following her win in last month’s Musidora Stakes, while Eddie Ahern, who rode Aviate at York, gets the leg up on the highly-regarded Timepiece, who has been beaten in both of her two starts this year.

The Marcus Tregoning-trained Rumoush is another leading candidate after finishing seventh from a poor draw in the 1000 Guineas, while Sajjhaa takes a step up in class following a breathtaking Sandown debut success.

Akdarena, Ceilidh House and Gertrude Bell all remain in the mix with only two absentees from the five-day stage in Godolphin’s Hibaayeb and Lady Lupus.