by Steve Bailey

Susan Magnier's and Michael Tabor's Peeping Fawn will seek her fourth consecutive Group 1 victory as she takes on seven challengers on Wednesday at York in the $222,013 Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Eng-G1), a 1 1/2 mile turf race for fillies and mares.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the three-year-old Danehill filly enters off consecutive victories in the Audi Pretty Polly Stakes (Ire-G1) on June 30, the Darley Irish Oaks (Ire-G1) on July 15, and the Blue Square Nassau Stakes (Eng-G1) on August 4.

Peeping Fawn has hit the board in each of her nine career starts with four victories, two seconds, and three third-place finishes. She finished second to Light Shift in the Vodafone Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1) on June 1 before rebounding to beat that foe by 3 1/2 lengths in the Irish Oaks.

The race was the scheduled return for multiple Group 1 winner Alexandrova, winner of the 2006 Yorkshire Oaks. Trainer Aidan O’Brien withdrew the four-year-old Sadler’s Wells filly from consideration after he noticed the English and Irish classic winner was not quite right following an exercise session on Monday.

“It’s too soon to talk about when she might be running,” O’Brien told Racing Post. “We’ll give her a few days rest and see how she progresses.”

Peeping Fawn’s chief competition most likely will come from Group 2 winners Allegretto and Silkwood.

Allegretto has won two of four starts this season for Cheveley Park Stud and Stoute. The chestnut Galileo (Ire) filly enters off a half-length victory in the ABN Amro Goodwood Cup (Eng-G2) on August 2 at Goodwood.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Silkwood enters off a five-length romp in the Ribblesdale Stakes (Eng-G2) at Royal Ascot. The three-year-old Singspiel (Ire) filly has won three of her four career starts.

Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times