3 days ago
Derby 2025: Aidan O'Brien claims ELEVENTH Oaks victory with Classic one-two
The Ballydoyle trainer now has an extraordinary 31 wins in Epsom's Group 1 races, having won the Derby and Coronation Cup ten times each
Ryan Moore picked the right Aidan O'Brien filly to land a one-two for the stable in the Betfred Oaks at Epsom.
The Ballydoyle trainer has an amazing record in Epsom's three Group 1 contests. He has won ten editions of the Derby and on Friday claimed a tenth win in the Coronation Cup with Jan Brueghel. He had also won the Oaks ten times, in which he trained three of the nine runners, giving stable jockey Ryan Moore a potential big race headache.
Moore, who rarely gets it wrong, went for Minnie Hauk, the winner of the Cheshire Oaks, rather than Whirl or Giselle.
It was touch and go whether he had chosen correctly as Whirl, under Wayne Lordan, made her challenge with the advantage of the rail to race against in the straight.
But Minnie Hauk matched her all the way and narrowly edged the ensuing duel to win by a neck with favourite Desert Flower, winner of the 1,000 Guineas, struggling to handle the track as she finished four lengths back in third.
Moore said: 'She is still learning a little bit. She didn't have much racing at two. Aidan had a lot of faith in her. She has come on a lot since Chester.
'She travelled round strong. The filly in front didn't quit at all. She picked up quite easy and then was a little bit green in front. She was wanting to run down the camber but when the other filly came back, she went on again.
'She's a talented filly and she obviously stays very well. Hopefully she will build on this.'
O'Brien has another three horses in Saturday's Betfred Derby in which Moore has sided with Delacroix.
The trainer said: 'She is a very classy filly. She was just ready to run in Chester and then made abnormal improvement from Chester. It was all class rather than stamina and fitness.
'Ryan loved her the last day and loved her again today. She's very exciting.'
He went on: 'Whirl ran a great race too. She was fighting back again at the line.'
O'Brien said the 11th Oaks victory was 'a credit to everybody', particularly the members of the Coolmore partnership.
He said: 'All I do is observe every day. Before they go to Coolmore they are reared and broken, brought over and everyone takes charge of them. It's such a big team. So many people are involved on the way up.'
