Aidan O’Brien will look to Minnie Hauk as he bids to equal legendary trainers Sir Michael Stoute and Mathew Dawson on nine wins in the Group One Yorkshire Oaks (2,381m) at York on Thursday.

According to the betting markets, the illustrious prize – won by the likes of Alpinista, Love, Enable and Alexandrova – could be turned into a procession by O’Brien’s dual Oaks winner.

She defeated stablemate and subsequent Group One winner Whirl in the Group One Oaks (2,400m) at Epsom in June, before completing the double in the Group One Irish Oaks (2,400m) at the Curragh last month.

Minnie Hauk now looks to complete the Oaks treble and if history is any indicator, a win in the race would open the door and make her a big contender in the Group One Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2,400m) in October.

O’Brien confirmed plans to head to Longchamp should she pass this assignment, and given that the master of Ballydoyle has won four of the last five runnings, he has every reason to be confident.

“She’s a lovely filly, she’s got a big stride and cruises in the way only good horses do. She’s physically well and mentally super – I couldn’t be happier with her,” said O’Brien.

“She doesn’t do a lot once she’s in front; she tends to be pulling up. So you see the best of her when there’s a strong tempo in the middle of a race.”

On paper, her only danger according to the ratings is the David O’Meara-trained Estrange, who has won four of her five career starts.

She has won both her starts this year at Haydock, winning the Group Three Lester Piggott Fillies’ Stakes (2,400m) before a workmanlike display in the Group Two Lancashire Oaks (2,400m) last month.

The striking grey remains totally unexposed, but as a four-year-old, she will be conceding 9lb to her younger and higher-rated rival Minnie Hauk.

“She was brilliant last time at Haydock, especially as she was a bit keener than usual – she’s usually very relaxed – and was in front a long time,” said O’Meara.

“We’d been hoping for a drop of rain so that it wouldn’t be good to firm and, fortunately, it did rain. She’s not absolutely reliant on heavy ground, but she doesn’t really want to be running on very quick ground.”

The card also features the Group Two Lowther Stakes (1,200m), which features a clash between Royal Fixation and America Queen.

The former stepped forward from a debut win to finish a brilliant second to the smart Venetian Sun in the Group Two Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes (1,200m), pulling a long way clear with the eventual winner.

America Queen created a big impression when overcoming a slow start to run riot by 12 lengths in a 1,200m maiden at Haydock last month and a big jolt of improvement is expected from Richard Hughes’ promising filly with Ryan Moore also taking over in the saddle.