Latest news with #DesertFlower
The Sun
5 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
‘That's Ryan Moore's ride' – Punters convinced after Epsom Oaks price collapse
PUNTERS are convinced they know who Ryan Moore will ride in the Epsom Oaks - after an intriguing price crash came seemingly out of nowhere. Aidan O'Brien has three in the Friday Classic ahead of Thursday's declarations. 1 But just who Moore would choose out of Giselle, Whirl and Minnie Hauk looked anyone's guess. Bookies thought they had some inkling as they made Minnie Hauk, who was 8-1 just 48 hours ago, the outsider of the Ballydoyle trio. But the Cheshire Oaks winner's price has been smashed into as short as 7-2 following a tidal wave of support. Punters think her odds crashing - and Giselle and Whirl's going the opposite way - are a sign Moore has chosen who he will partner, with one proclaiming: "That's Ryan Moore's ride." Paddy Power's Paul Binfield said: "The front two in the Oaks market have both been strong today, but particularly Cheshire Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk. "That support would indicate that punters are pretty sure that of Aidan O'Brien's three possible protagonists, Ryan Moore has chosen to partner this very talented Frankel filly." Whoever Moore rides will have to go some to beat Charlie Appleby's red-hot Oaks favourite Desert Flower, though. The 1000 Guineas winner has been obliterated into just 6-5 with some firms. Legendary jockey Kieran Fallon, who rides out at trainer Charlie Appleby's Moulton Paddocks yard, said she was a cut above. And punters think so too, with Desert Flower looking like she could be the shortest-price winner since O'Brien's 11-10 Love in 2020. Epsom Oaks odds via Paddy Power 5-4 Desert Flower 7-2 Minnie Hauk 7-1 Giselle, Whirl 10-1 Elwateen, Revoir 20-1 Quilin Queen, Wemighttakedlongway 50-1 Go Go Boots Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
William Buick eyeing ‘huge achievement' in £1.5 million Derby and Oaks
The Godolphin rider, who won the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas in May, has a chance to become the first jockey to land the first four Classics at Epsom on Desert Flower and Ruling Court William Buick has opened up about his chances of making racing history at Epsom this week. The top jockey won the Betfred 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May on the Charlie Appleby-trained Desert Flower and Ruling Court. Both Godolphin-owned Classic winners are set to line up at Epsom this week, Desert Flower in the Betfred Oaks and Ruling Court in the £1.5 million Betfred Derby. Ruling Court will attempt to become the first colt since Camelot in 2012 to complete the 2,000 Guineas-Derby double and set himself on a path towards a possible tilt at the Triple Crown, for which Betfred are offering a £2 million bonus. The last time the same owner, trainer and jockey won the Oaks and Derby in the same year was in 2001 when Imagine and Galileo, won the Epsom Classics for members of the Coolmore partnership, trainer Aidan O'Brien and jockey Mick Kinane. Buick, who won the Derby on Masar in 2018, has never won the Oaks and Desert Flower will be his 15th ride in the race he finished second in 12 months ago. No jockey has won the Flat season's first four Classics in the same year. 'I must admit that this year it's a little bit more excitement with the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas winners both going to turn up,' said Jockey Club Racecourses Ambassador Buick. 'We'd like to take it one step at a time. It's a massive, huge thing to do. Both the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas, that was a huge achievement in itself. We'll take each race as they come.' Ruling Court is the 4-1 second favourite with William Hill for the Derby and the unbeaten Desert Flower 6-4 favourite for the Oaks. Both horses will be tackling 1m4f for the first time. 'Ruling Court is a very well balanced horse with a high cruising speed, he relaxes in his races and has got a turn of foot,' said Buick. 'In that regard he ticks all the boxes. He's a high quality colt. 'Desert Flower is a high class filly. We've always thought the world of her. She just has never stepped a foot wrong. She is tactically incredibly versatile and I don't think Epsom is going to pose any problem to her. 'Of course it would mean a lot to win the Oaks. I've not managed to pull it off. Each season you set out to find a Classic horse. To go to Epsom with two horses of the calibre we have this year is a pleasure.' Ruling Court is headed in the Derby betting by the Aidan O'Brien trained Delacroix, likely to be ridden by Ryan Moore. Buick added: 'I feel like I am on the two best horses. There is of course the question mark about the distance. They have never been beyond a mile before but I do feel I am on the two best horses.'
Powys County Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Desert Flower chasing more Classic glory as nine go forward for Oaks
A total of nine horses are in contention for the Betfred Oaks on Friday, with Desert Flower on track to bid for a Classic double. The Charlie Appleby-trained daughter of Night Of Thunder took her unbeaten record to five in landing the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, her first start since ending her two-year-old campaign with victory in the Fillies' Mile. In fourth at Newmarket was Saeed bin Suroor's Elwateen, running a big race on her second career start. She has been supplemented at a cost of £30,000 by her Shadwell connections, who as expected have taken out Falakeyah. Aidan O'Brien has three leading chances of making it an 11th win in the Epsom showpiece, with trial winners Giselle and Minnie Hauk having looked good at Lingfield and Chester respectively while Whirl impressed at York. The Betfred Coronation Cup on the same card features eight, headed by Francis-Henri Graffard's Calandagan, whose last three starts have been runner-up finishes in the Juddmonte International, Champion Stakes and Dubai Sheema Classic. Last year's St Leger winner Jan Brueghel is one of the possibles for O'Brien, with Marco Botti's Giavellotto another of note.
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
CALUM McCLURKIN: Flower has the staying power but could Oaks favourite be vulnerable to unexposed improvers?
The Classic generation of the fillies looks a lot weaker than the colts. That might be summed up by the fact only 12 are currently in the Oaks at Epsom in two weeks' time. Desert Flower won the 1,000 Guineas and remains unbeaten. Rated 117, she sets a clear standard for the others to aim at. Trained by Charlie Appleby in the Godolphin blue, odds of 9-4 look very fair indeed. She was a short price at Newmarket when it became obvious main rival on form Lake Victoria needed the run badly. Ollie Sangster's Flight was runner-up and gave the favourite a fright. She challenged from the wrong part of the track and maybe was a shade unlucky not to be closer than the length defeat. The rest pretty much finished in a heap in behind but were only two-and-a-half lengths behind Desert Flower. This was nowhere near impressive as last year's Fillies' Mile demolition when she was head and shoulders clear as a juvenile. Desert Flower did it well enough from the front but there is a hint that others are catching up on her as they improve with age and experience. The main positive for Desert Flower at Newmarket was she way she shaped for an Oaks. Going up in trip looks like no issue whatsoever, perhaps 10 furlongs would be more suitable than 12 but it looks within her compass. There's stamina in her pedigree and you need tactical speed around Epsom anyway, so there isn't a great deal to worry about on that front. It's more of an unknown than a cast-iron negative. Jockey William Buick said after the Guineas win: 'She's very uncomplicated and all class. I think she could be an Oaks filly. I think that's what everyone was thinking beforehand.' There's every chance the boys in blue believe the Oaks is a more suitable assignment than the Guineas and that might help her to another Classic success. However, could she be vulnerable to a significant improver? Given the fourth and fifth of the Guineas got within two-and-a-half lengths at HQ despite only having one run beforehand in their lives then there must be a distinct possibility of another unexposed type asking a more serious question of Desert Flower. Aidan O'Brien is invariably the main challenger. Like the Derby trials, he plundered most of the Oaks trials, too. Minnie Hauk is second favourite and has come for plenty of support. Winner of the Cheshire Oaks, she looks destined to stay. However, the bare form does need improving on given her rating of 100. Giselle was very fresh on reappearance in taking out a three-runner Lingfield Oaks but there's plenty of potential in there if learning to settle. Epsom looks sure to suit and is another that brings plenty of potential to the party. Neither of the O'Brien pair can be ruled out, with Musidora Stakes winner Whirl looking set for the French Oaks instead. The Ballydoyle team will be eager to make this a decent test at the trip to suit Giselle and Minnie Hauk and ask the stamina question of the favourite, so don't be surprised if O'Brien leaves outsiders January and/or Island Hopping in as a pacemaker. A trip to France could be in the offing for the exciting Owen Burrows-trained Falakeyah. She won on Guineas day in Pretty Polly Stakes and that form has been boosted since. She'd be of interest if she stayed in England instead. Elwateen was one of many who were not beaten far by Desert Flower in the Guineas despite a lack of top-level experience and she'd enter the equation if supplemented by owners Shadwell. Revoir ran well in a Newbury trial for Ralph Beckett and can't be entirely dismissed. Desert Flower probably has the staying power and might have too much in hand to win another Classic in a similar manner to her Guineas success. The price is fair, too. But when you begin to scratch the surface, it might not be as simple as that. There are others in there with plenty of potential that could end her unbeaten record. OTHER DAYS FOR SHES PERFECT AS FRENCH STEWARDS REJECT APPEAL IT was worth the appeal for connections of Shes Perfect. The Charlie Fellowes-trained filly was first past the post in the French 1,000 Guineas but lost the race in the stewards room when causing interference a furlong and a half from the line. The race was awarded to favourite Zarigana and the head-on looked fairly damning, with Shes Perfect, under jocky Kieran Shoemark, drifting off a clear line when in front to her left. The rules are clear and the places were rightfully turned around, regardless of whether they had a case on the questionable riding style of Mickael Barzalona striking his horse with his hands when he dropped his whip. There's been some nonsense on social media pondering the motive of the decision. A case of the big established French yard gets the decision over a small English one? Sorry, but no. It's plainly ridiculous to accusation of bias. The kind of stuff a deluded football fan comes out with when ranting about referees. The French stewards applied the rules correctly in a big race. It should happen more often in Britain and for the Basher Watts syndicate, Fellowes and Shoemark there will be other days. There's always another opportunity in racing and it may happen in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot where the rematch could easily happen. They have a brilliant filly on their hands for the future. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK… Honourable mention to jockey William Buick who won four of the five televised races on ITV at Haydock but yesterday was all about the brilliance of FIELD OF GOLD in the 2,000 Guineas. He picked up stylishly off the speed under new jockey Colin Keane and the galloping nature of the Curragh really suited John and Thady Gosden's colt. It was redemption for his unlucky defeat when second in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. He was simply in a different league to the rest of the field and the world is his oyster for the rest of the season. SELECTIONS OF THE DAY… A PAIR of Group One Curragh crackers can go the way of the formidable duo of Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore. LOS ANGELES (5-2, bet365) is two for two at the Curragh and can defeat old rival White Birch and a strong British challenge to win the Tattersalls Gold Cup (3.05). LAKE VICTORIA (Evens, Paddy Power) was sixth in the 1,000 Guineas but she needed the run badly and O'Brien was always racing against the clock to make that Newmarket assignment. She ought to be a lot sharper today and can land the Irish equivalent (3.40).
Irish Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Lake Victoria expected to be sharper for tilt at classic glory at the Curragh
It's not often one classic serves as a 'prep' for another but it can pay off for Lake Victoria in Sunday's Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh . Aidan O'Brien's filly is the clear top-rated on official figures among the dozen lining up for the €500,000 highlight on the back of her superb two-year-old career. A triple-Group One winner in three different countries, Lake Victoria was Europe's champion juvenile filly in advance of Godolphin's star Desert Flower. In one way, the eagerly anticipated clash of the pair took place in the Newmarket 1000 Guineas earlier this month, and in another way, it didn't. READ MORE If pre-race confidence in Desert Flower was infectious, Aidan O'Brien let no one in doubt that it had been a rush to get Lake Victoria to Newmarket and that if she was ready for a race, it was unlikely to be her best race. Halfway in the Guineas, it briefly didn't look even like reaching that as Ryan Moore started to get serious with her. A couple of furlongs later, and it momentarily seemed an unlikely success might even be on the cards. Ultimately, Lake Victoria came up less than 2½ lengths short in a patchy performance that resonated of significant progress to come. That will be put to the test in her home Guineas and Moore is anticipating a better display despite the second and third at Newmarket, Ollie Sangster's pair Flight and Simmering, being in the lineuline-uphat run should bring her on, and she'll be much fitter this time. I certainly haven't lost any faith in her, and I expect her to show her true colours on Sunday,' he told World Pool, the global co-mingling operation that will have betting on both of Sunday's Group One contests. Lake Victoria lost her unbeaten record at Newmarket, but her main threat could come from Dermot Weld's Swelter, who brings a spotless two from two into the classic run on her doorstep. An anticipated ease in ground conditions will help the strapping Kingman filly, who was too strong for Exactly on her own Trial success at Leopardstown. Los Angeles is already a Curragh classic winner, having emerged on top in last year's Derby. Now he tries his luck at the top level over 10 furlongs in a Tattersalls Gold Cup, seemingly packed with quality. The English filly Kalpana is already favourite for the Arc in October, but could hardly be said to have got an easy first start to her campaign. Also in the mix is English Champion Stakes winner Anmaat, while last year's winner White Birch will try to secure a popular follow-up for Cork trainer John Murphy. He was a neck off Los Angeles in the Mooresbridge on his comeback. On what could turn out to be a notable day for Moore, Porta Fortuna may not need to be at her superb best to make a successful return to action in Group Two company. The impressive Leopardstown scorer Vera's Secret looks her danger. Albert Einstein earned some notable reviews on his career debut at Naas and will be expected to follow up in the Marble Hill.
