Rainbow View, attempting to bounce back from a disappointing effort as the favorite in the 1000 Guineas, must overcome a quartet of improving fillies at Epsom on Friday if she is to land classic honors in the $580,000 English Oaks.

Rainbow View, owned by George Strawbridge and trained by John Gosden, was Europe's juvenile filly champion last year. She blemished her perfect record when fifth in the Newmarket mile, but is expected to do better over the Oaks 12-furlong trip.

The death of Vincent O'Brien on the eve of the Epsom Derby is a timely reminder of the profound influence the great trainer has had and continues to have on the Thoroughbred breed. Not only did the diminutive Irishman win the Derby six times, 10 of the 13 horses pointing to Saturday's classic are descended from horses trained by him.

And not only trained by him, but personally selected by him. For O'Brien was the consummate horseman, adept at every angle of the game and possessed with an eye for equine excellence perhaps unmatched in the history of the sport.

Vincent O'Brien, regarded by many as the greatest trainer in the history of Thoroughbred racing, died at his home in Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland on Monday morning at the age of 92. In recent years he had been spending winters with his wife, Jacqueline, at the home of his son David in Perth on the west coast of Australia. In failing health, he returned to Ireland last week and died in the midst of his family, who include his son, the trainer Charles O'Brien.

Logi Universe powered to a four-length victory in the $3.5 million Tokyo Yushum (Japanese Derby) on Sunday after torrential rain had turned the ground soft at Tokyo Racecourse. In victory, the Kiyoshi Hagiwara-trained son of the Sunday Silence stallion and 2003 Japanese Derby winner Neo Universe avenged his lone career defeat in the Japanese 2000 Guineas as he beat Guineas winner and 11-10 favorite Unrivaled into 12th place.

Magadan should successfully take the next step up the group-race ladder on Sunday in the 1 1/2-mile, $181,000 Grand Prix de Chantilly, one of three Group 2 races on the card at Chantilly. A son of High Chaparral trained by Elie Lellouche, Magadan has already won over the distance at the listed and Group 3 levels this season after having concluded an abbreviated 3-year-old campaign with a third-place finish behind Montmartre in the 1 1/2-mile, Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris.

Unrivaled will have to be at his best at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday if he is to complete a classic double in the $3.5 million Tokyo Yushun, or Japanese Derby, as he has drawn widest of all in post 18 for the 1 1/2-mile test.

Conduit lost a bob of the head decision to Cima de Triomphe in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown Park on Thursday evening, failing by a nose in his first start since landing the Breeders' Cup Turf seven months ago.

Conduit, winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf, returns to the races at Sandown Park on Thursday evening in the $103,000 Brigadier Gerard Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile, Group 3 contest in which he will spot his 12 rivals between four and seven pounds.

Again slogged on grimly to overtake Lahaleeb in the $560,000 Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh on Sunday to give Johnny Murtagh and his Coolmore bosses their second classic triumph of the weekend. This one, however, was engineered by David Wachman, whereas Saturday's Irish 2000 Guineas winner Mastercraftsman is under the care of Aidan O'Brien.

Buena Vista doubled her classic pleasure at Tokyo on Sunday as she came with her patented late run to nail Red Desire on the line in a thrilling renewal of the $2.4 million Yushun Himba, or Japanese Oaks. The daughter of Special Week thus becomes the 11th filly in history to win both the Japanese 1000 Guineas and the Japanese Oaks.