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Investec Oaks heroine Talent will face seven opponents as she aims to complete a Classic double in the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh on Saturday evening.

Ralph Beckett's filly was a surprise victor when annihilating her opponents at Epsom at the end of May, with her better fancied stable companion Secret Gesture filling the runner-up spot.

The pair looked set to do battle once again earlier this week, but Secret Gesture was ruled out of a trip to Ireland after suffering a setback on Wednesday.

Talent is part of a formidable two-pronged British attack, with Lady Cecil's hugely impressive Ribblesdale Stakes heroine Riposte also making the journey, having been supplemented at the start of this week.

Aidan O'Brien has saddled three previous winners of the Irish Oaks and this year he sends the exciting Venus De Milo, as well as Just Pretending and Magical Dream.

The field is completed by Tommy Stack's Alive Alive Oh, the Jim Bolger-trained Scintillula and Alain de Royer-Dupre's French raider Chicquita.

Riposte has been well-supported since being added to the field at a cost of 40,000 euros and "looks certain" to go off favourite, according to Coral, who make the daughter of Dansili the 9-4 market leader ahead of Talent at 11-4.

Coral's David Stevens said: "Lady Cecil's charge has been by far the best-backed contender for this weekend's Classic, and Riposte now looks certain to start favourite for a race the late Sir Henry Cecil won on three occasions."