Minnie Hauk at concert pitch for Yorkshire Oaks date
Now she turns her attention to the Knavesmire, with only three rivals opting to take her on in the mile-and-a-half Group One – including Ribblesdale-winning stablemate Garden Of Eden.
'This was always the obvious place to bring Minnie Hauk after the Curragh and she seems in good form since then,' said O'Brien.
'The trip and ground are perfect for her and since the Irish Oaks everything has gone well with her.
'Garden Of Eden won the Ribblesdale and then we sent her for the German Oaks but that didn't work out.
'She was drawn very badly and she just never really got into it, it never happened.'
Ed Walker's Qilin Queen was eighth behind Minnie Hauk in the Oaks at Epsom, the only real blip in a consistent career thus far that includes a Group Two success in the Prix de Malleret at ParisLongchamp last time out.
'Qilin Queen is a lovely filly who has done nothing wrong in her career,' the trainer said.
'The Oaks was the only bad run in her career and I think you can put that down to the soft ground and she probably wasn't that happy on the track.
'However, on top of the ground she's really not put a foot wrong and we know she stays the trip well.
'She will have to step forward significantly to challenge this lot, but she's entitled to.'
David O'Meara's Estrange is the other British-trained entrant, a striking grey who has won both starts this season when taking the Lester Piggott Fillies' Stakes and then the Lancashire Oaks.
She steps up to the top level, although connections are prepared to make a late call on her participation on the Knavesmire, eager to ensure an easier surface for the four-year-old.
'We'll have a chat to connections tonight and see what they think,' said O'Meara at York on Wednesday.
'I walked it on Monday and I thought they had put plenty of water on and it felt good to soft. The (slow) times (today) could be a little bit of headwind affecting them as much as anything else but I thought they had watered very well.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Minnie Hauk lined up for shot at Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after royal-edged Oaks glory
Minnie Hauk completed an Oaks grand slam in front of The Queen and will be given the chance to confirm she is racing royalty this autumn. It was expected that Minnie Hauk would win the Yorkshire equivalent of the races she had landed at Chester, Epsom and The Curragh but it was the manner in which the 8/15 favourite stretched away from Estrange, a high-class older rival, indicated that she still has massive improvement to make. Trainer Aidan O'Brien has 'only' won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe twice but Minnie Hauk – who would need to be supplemented by her owners, Coolmore, at a cost of £120,000 – could be given the green light to contest the showpiece in Paris on October 4. The Queen was so enamoured with Minnie Hauk's performance at York that she had her picture taken with the filly in the winners' enclosure and O'Brien, who was equalling Sir Michael Stoute's record of nine victories in the Yorkshire Oaks, was glowing about her capabilities. 'She's beautiful and she does everything right,' said O'Brien. 'She cruises and she's a lovely mover, and obviously the Arc and the Breeders' Cup Turf are there for her. A lot of people have done a lot to look after her, so I appreciate everyone's hard work and I'm delighted. 'Ryan (Moore, jockey) gave her a class ride and he was very cool on her. She's classy and it was a very confident ride. It wasn't going to be a Mickey Mouse race – they were going to go an even gallop without going crazy.' Moore was winning the Yorkshire Oaks for a fifth time and his judgement should always be noted. She's very high class and her record indicates how classy she is,' said Moore. 'It was fairly straightforward and she travelled into it very well. She doesn't do a whole lot at the front, but when you ask her she finds.'
Rhyl Journal
6 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Al Qareem out for another York raid in the Lonsdale Cup
Only Aidan O'Brien's Gold Cup runner-up Illinois has been able to stop Karl Burke's six-year-old in his last four starts and connections are raring to have a crack at John and Thady Gosden's staying star, who will be out to replicate his Royal Ascot heroics and remain unbeaten on home soil in 2025. 'I did think the race would turn out stronger than it is so I'm pleased to see only six in the field,' said Nick Bradley, managing director of owners Nick Bradley Racing. 'Trawlerman of course will be hard to beat, he's drawn four and we're drawn five. I'm looking forward to seeing who leads and I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing those two go toe-to-toe at the two-furlong pole and may the best horse win. 'He's got a good course record but I think that's more because we've handpicked those races and he's run well at places like Ascot and Chester as well, so I don't think it's because of the track necessarily.' A winner of 11 of his 31 career starts, Al Qareem has long been a reliable source of success for his connections and his performance on the Knavesmire could prove key in Bradley hitting some ambitious targets for the current campaign. He added: 'My target for this year is £1.4million in prize-money and 60 winners and I'm thinking if I can be at £1.1million by the end of this month, I will be in good shape. He's not for passing! Al Qareem is all heart once again as he makes all under @CliffordleexLee who got the sectionals absolutely spot on. We've ran out of superlatives for this horse, the dream horse to own! Well done to @karl_burke and his team especially Danielle who looks… — Nick Bradley Racing (@NBradleyRacing) July 12, 2025 'If Al Qareem finishes second I think I'll get there, so I will be relying on him quite a lot and it's a credit to Karl and his team and the horse himself as we have a standard-bearer who tries so hard every time he lines up.' Trawlerman is joined in the line-up by Clarehaven stablemate and stalwart of the division Sweet William, with Shackleton the chosen representative of Ballydoyle and Saeed bin Suroor's Gold Cup third Dubai Future also engaged. The field is completed by Tom Clover's Al Nayyir, who was agonisingly denied by Vauban in this 12 months ago and suffered a similar fate at Sandown when last seen in the Esher Stakes. 'We're really happy with the horse and he looks to have trained nicely since his run at Sandown,' said Clover. 'I always wonder if this is the time of year he is at his best as he does come to hand a bit, which is encouraging. He looks super in himself and we will keep everything crossed for a big run. 'The only slight niggle for us is the ground and being that little bit older he might not want it this tight, but he has gone very well on it previously and has been working very well. 'It's obviously going to be a very tall ask and although there are only six runners, it looks deep. But I do think he warrants his place in this field and if the others go really hard, it might set up well for him.' There is also Group Two action in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes, where Ed Walker's Do Or Do Not looks to turn some consistent form into a deserved success. Second in both the Coventry Stakes and July Stakes before also finishing third in a strong renewal of the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, he now reverts to six furlongs with first-time cheekpieces in place. 'He's been a very fun two-year-old and unlucky not to win one, but he's been aimed high and we're doing so once again,' said Walker. 'He's in good form and I don't see any problem with the drop back to six furlongs. They went very very fast when he couldn't go with them down the hill in the July Stakes at Newmarket and I think he will be all right and we're going to run him in cheekpieces. 'He ran really well at Goodwood as well and his form is really rock solid.' Burke's dual winner Reciprocated and Declan Carroll's Thirsk novice scorer Lifeplan are other interesting names among a field of eight.
Rhyl Journal
6 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Minnie Hauk hits another winning note in Yorkshire Oaks
One of two runners for Aidan O'Brien in the Group One feature, the daughter of Frankel came into the York Group One with Cheshire, English and Irish renewals on her CV this term and was ridden by Ryan Moore as the 8-15 favourite. Her stablemate Garden Of Eden set the pace and David O'Meara's Estrange did ensure the winner had a race, but the triumph was ultimately light work by three and a half lengths on the line. O'Brien said: 'She's beautiful, she does everything right, she cruises, she's a lovely mover and obviously the Arc and the Breeders' Cup Turf, all those races are there for her. 'Ryan said the (Breeders' Cup) Turf, so she's obviously given him an unbelievable feel. Ryan gave her a class ride, he was very cool on her. She is classy and he gave her a very confident ride. 'It wasn't going to be a Mickey Mouse race today, they were going to go an even gallop without going crazy. Ryan has always said the stronger the tempo, the better we're going to see. 'She's very exciting.' O'Brien – who saw Delacroix and dual Derby winner Lambourn suffer defeat on Wednesday – went on: 'We've always felt the better the race the better she'll be. FOUR times an Oaks Winner 👑 Yorkshire Oaks ✅Irish Oaks ✅English Oaks ✅Cheshire Oaks ✅ Next stop Longchamp for 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒖𝒌? @coolmorestud | @yorkracecourse | #EborFestival — Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 21, 2025 'It was good for Ryan, he had a tough day yesterday and things didn't work out but the professional that he is he didn't flinch. 'It was a nicely-run race, even though there were only four in it, I think the second is a nice filly, isn't she. 'She's won well in the end our filly, she obviously stays very well and always finishes her race off well. She doesn't kill herself getting there but she's always finishing. 'She has to be close to the top of our pecking order for the Arc, she's an improving filly at this time of year. 'She could go to the Breeders' Cup Turf but also the Arc. Whirl could go with her. 'Whirl could go to the Vermeille or Irish Champion, but there's a good chance Delacroix goes back to the Irish Champion and if John (Gosden) brings his horse (Ombudsman) it will be great.' Co-owner Michael Tabor said: 'I think she won very comfortably, she's obviously very good and looking forward maybe she will run in the Arc or the Breeders' Cup. Hopefully we can keep her in training as a four-year-old and enjoy her. 'There's no secret to the success. First of all we have a very good trainer but we try to breed the best to the best as we all do, like Godolphin and Juddmonte. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. 'Yesterday was not a disaster, but it was tough. It's tough when you lose which is why you have to appreciate when you win because it is not easy. 'Minnie Hauk beat Whirl at Epsom and dare I say their next races will be the Arc and the Breeders' Cup for one or the other and hopefully they'll have good chances in those races.'
