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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Minnie Hauk lands the Betfred Oaks at Epsom
Minnie Hauk (9-2) won a thrilling battle with stable-mate Whirl (15-2) to give Aidan O'Brien an 11th victory in the Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday afternoon. Minnie Hauk – an impressive winner of the Listed Cheshire Oaks at last month's Boodles Chester May Festival – just got the better of her stable-mate in a thrilling battle to the line, scoring by a neck under stable jockey Ryan Moore with Godolphin's 1,000 Guineas heroine and 11-10 favourite Desert Flower four lengths back in third. Moore had the choice of O'Brien's three challengers in the Fillies' Classic – with Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Giselle, who eventually came home fifth, also entered. But he passed over her and the Musidora Stakes winner Whirl for the improving daughter of Frankel, Minnie Hauk, who had won for a second time in three career starts on the Roodee last month. Advertisement Under Moore, Minnie Hauk was sat a couple of lengths off the pace set by Whirl and Wayne Lordan. When Whirl kicked for home after the turn around Tattenham Corner, Moore moved Minnie Hauk closer to challenge. The two Ballydoyle fillies quickly went clear of their rivals and in a protracted battle all the way up the home straight, both gave their all but it was just Minnie Hauk who prevailed by a neck. READ MORE: Horse Power: The Lion In Winter to roar back with victory in the Betfred Derby at Epsom READ MORE: Jan Brueghel crowned a winner in the Coronation Cup at Epsom O'Brien is now closing on 19th century trainer Robert Robson's 13 victories in the Epsom Classic as Minnie Hauk followed the likes of his former Oaks scorers including Alexandrova, Minding, Love, Snowfall and his most recent victor Tuesday (2022) into the winner's enclosure. Having won a 30th Group One at the Derby Festival with Jan Brueghel's success in the Coronation Cup earlier in the day, Moore and O'Brien were again the men for the big occasion. Advertisement O'Brien said: 'I'm delighted with her; she's very classy and Ryan gave her a beautiful ride. He loved her the last day (at Chester) and then again today, so she's very exciting. She's obviously learning - she went to Chester and learnt a lot and was still green, and she was always improving from mid-race. What you love about her is that she's a great traveller; she has a lot of class. Ryan felt he was going very easily today on her and usually what that means is that she will be able to step up a couple of grades into even higher-class races. It's lovely for the lads and for everyone to have another filly like that. 'Colin [Keane] was delighted with his filly (Giselle, fifth); he said she's a bit of a baby and a bit weak, so she will improve. Whirl (second) ran a great race; she stays and obviously has a lot of class too. We were going to go forward if no one else wanted to. Ryan was going to go forward, and so was Wayne. Obviously Colin didn't want to go forward; his filly was too keen and we all knew that; he was going to try to get her to relax and see what would happen. I don't think it was too fast a pace. I'm delighted with the way it all went. 'Those Wootton Bassetts (Whirl's sire) – obviously they have speed but they also stay. Obviously she got a mile and a quarter at York by staying and we thought there was a chance she would get the mile and a half, but we weren't sure. Ryan said that he would have been happier going a bit faster in the first half of race, and usually the sign of a very classy filly, so that means she'll be very comfortable standing up against the older horses when the time comes. We'll see. I'm delighted for everyone. It's a big team and everyone plays their part – I'm just the observer, really, and it's the lads who, every year, keep these pedigrees going and make sure we have these horses to be able to work with.' Moore, who was wining a fifth Oaks, said: "She began well and travelled strong early and I just wanted to make sure I was in a position to do what I wanted when I wanted. She just travelled a bit too strong and fell asleep on me then after I asked her to relax. The filly in front is a good filly and kept building the whole way and I just had to ask my filly to go to her and she quickened up very smartly and got there easily. Whirl came back and my filly found a little bit more. I think she'll improve for the experience and as far as three-year-old fillies go she's very good. Advertisement "She'll be (going for the) Irish Oaks/Nassau Stakes, that sort of thing, and we'll go from there. She's a lightly-raced filly and should improve." Moore added: "I rode some exceptional fillies in this race, Love and Minding spring to mind and Snow Fairy as well. She's got a way to go, but she's open to any amount of improvement." Lordan, who rode runner-up Whirl, said: 'I've gone a nice gallop as we felt that she would stay. She was loving it out the front; she kept extending well. Ryan went a good half-length off me. I think both fillies were just coming to the end of their tether and having a bit of a roll around, but I felt we had been well held at the line. I couldn't fault my filly – she ran a stormer. She's a lovely filly and she tries hard. She's very straightforward, very uncomplicated and she shows you everything she has.' Charlie Appleby, trainer of the third-placed Desert Flower, said: 'It just looked like she got a bit unbalanced coming down the hill and hit a bit of a flat spot just at the point you don't want to, but take nothing away from the first two as they just kept galloping. We all think she got it [the trip] and personally I'd like to see her in something like the Yorkshire Oaks, on a nice galloping track. We'll give her a break now. Will just thought she'd be more comfortable on a sounder surface than she got today. She won on slow ground in the Fillies' Mile, but slow ground on a track like this might have been a consideration. Back on a more conventional track will hopefully be more her gig.' Advertisement Keane, who was on board fifth-placed Giselle, said: 'She ran okay. She was a little bit in my hands in the first half then settled as we went on. She feels like a filly who lengthens and gallops rather than quickens, but it was a nice run.' Jockey Jim Crowley said of seventh-placed Elwateen: 'She was disappointing. We were beaten turning in so we can't blame the trip. I had a lovely run round but it just didn't happen.' The David O'Meara-trained Mirsky (6-1) won the Trustatrader Handicap, under Oisin Murphy, by a comfortable length-and-a-quarter from Alpha Circus (8-1) with the winner's stable-mate Julia Augusta (40-1) a further three-quarters-of-a-length back third and Ebt's Guard (9-2) another neck adrift in fourth. The ex-French winner backed up a recent win at Thirsk and could now head to Royal Ascot for the Royal Hunt Cup. Trainer O'Meara said: 'He ran well a few times last year without winning, but we always felt he had something like this in him. It maybe took us a while to get the hang of him, but he's won his last two now, which is great. The Hunt Cup would be a possibility now. Julia Augusta ran well in third. She'd run well here last year in the Diomed but hadn't run before this season. Bopedro just found it a bit sharp here but was staying on in fifth, so they all ran well.' Winning rider Murphy added: 'That was good placing by David, who really fancied him today. I've ridden plenty of nice winners for him here and it was nice of him to put me up again.'
Rhyl Journal
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
East India Dock flies home for Chester Cup honours
Successful aboard Hugo Palmer's Zoffee 12 months ago, Davies is now forming a blossoming relationship with Newmarket handler James Owen and delivered the Triumph Hurdle third to perfection in the prestigious £170,000 handicap. It was Ryan Moore who set the fractions aboard Joseph O'Brien's Leinster and when the leading jockey allowed his mount to stride on passing the five-furlong marker on the second circuit, the four-year-old appeared full of running. The field swarmed rounding the home turn with George Scott's progressive Caballo De Mar laying down a stern challenge and hitting the front a furlong out, but East India Dock was staying on with every stride as the 9-4 favourite turned Cheltenham Festival disappointment into Roodee delight. 🏆 East India Dock wins the Ladbrokes Chester Cup! 🏆 Harry Davies does it AGAIN!#ITVRacing | @ChesterRaces — ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 9, 2025 Owen's charge returned a length verdict over Caballo De Mar, with defending champion and Davies' old favourite Zoffee an honourable third, and the winning trainer was delighted to see a plan come together for his owners. He said: 'He travelled lovely and hit his flat spot like he usually does but he stayed on well. 'Tim and Mr (Bill) Gredley had this plan and it's great that we have pulled it off. There are some big pots on the Flat and he's a lovely dual-purpose horse now. 'To win the Chester Cup is fantastic, we've hit the crossbar a few times coming here, but it's nice to have a winner here and we've won the big one.' Davies told Sky Sports Racing: 'I'm very lucky to get the rides in this race I have and every time I have ridden in it I don't think I've had a bad ride. 'He got a good draw which always helps round here and he jumped good, I was able to hold my pitch and then he was gutsy. He stays well and had the perfect profile coming into the race. 'He loved that dead ground and while everything else was sort of half struggling, he just cruised on through – what a tough horse and I'm delighted for connections. 'He's a strong traveller and when horses have run over hurdles they learn how to relax better and in a race like this where you have to really rev them to hold their pitch, if they can then relax and drop the bridle there is nothing better. 'James has been very supportive of me and the Gredley Family have also been happy for me to ride their horses and I was delighted when I got the ride on this fella.'
Glasgow Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
East India Dock flies home for Chester Cup honours
Successful aboard Hugo Palmer's Zoffee 12 months ago, Davies is now forming a blossoming relationship with Newmarket handler James Owen and delivered the Triumph Hurdle third to perfection in the prestigious £170,000 handicap. It was Ryan Moore who set the fractions aboard Joseph O'Brien's Leinster and when the leading jockey allowed his mount to stride on passing the five-furlong marker on the second circuit, the four-year-old appeared full of running. The field swarmed rounding the home turn with George Scott's progressive Caballo De Mar laying down a stern challenge and hitting the front a furlong out, but East India Dock was staying on with every stride as the 9-4 favourite turned Cheltenham Festival disappointment into Roodee delight. 🏆 East India Dock wins the Ladbrokes Chester Cup! 🏆 Harry Davies does it AGAIN!#ITVRacing | @ChesterRaces — ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 9, 2025 Owen's charge returned a length verdict over Caballo De Mar, with defending champion and Davies' old favourite Zoffee an honourable third, and the winning trainer was delighted to see a plan come together for his owners. He said: 'He travelled lovely and hit his flat spot like he usually does but he stayed on well. 'Tim and Mr (Bill) Gredley had this plan and it's great that we have pulled it off. There are some big pots on the Flat and he's a lovely dual-purpose horse now. 'To win the Chester Cup is fantastic, we've hit the crossbar a few times coming here, but it's nice to have a winner here and we've won the big one.' Davies told Sky Sports Racing: 'I'm very lucky to get the rides in this race I have and every time I have ridden in it I don't think I've had a bad ride. Harry Davies excelled aboard East India Dock (Martin Rickett/PA) 'He got a good draw which always helps round here and he jumped good, I was able to hold my pitch and then he was gutsy. He stays well and had the perfect profile coming into the race. 'He loved that dead ground and while everything else was sort of half struggling, he just cruised on through – what a tough horse and I'm delighted for connections. 'He's a strong traveller and when horses have run over hurdles they learn how to relax better and in a race like this where you have to really rev them to hold their pitch, if they can then relax and drop the bridle there is nothing better. 'James has been very supportive of me and the Gredley Family have also been happy for me to ride their horses and I was delighted when I got the ride on this fella.'
Leader Live
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
East India Dock flies home for Chester Cup honours
Successful aboard Hugo Palmer's Zoffee 12 months ago, Davies is now forming a blossoming relationship with Newmarket handler James Owen and delivered the Triumph Hurdle third to perfection in the prestigious £170,000 handicap. It was Ryan Moore who set the fractions aboard Joseph O'Brien's Leinster and when the leading jockey allowed his mount to stride on passing the five-furlong marker on the second circuit, the four-year-old appeared full of running. The field swarmed rounding the home turn with George Scott's progressive Caballo De Mar laying down a stern challenge and hitting the front a furlong out, but East India Dock was staying on with every stride as the 9-4 favourite turned Cheltenham Festival disappointment into Roodee delight. 🏆 East India Dock wins the Ladbrokes Chester Cup! 🏆 Harry Davies does it AGAIN!#ITVRacing | @ChesterRaces — ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 9, 2025 Owen's charge returned a length verdict over Caballo De Mar, with defending champion and Davies' old favourite Zoffee an honourable third, and the winning trainer was delighted to see a plan come together for his owners. He said: 'He travelled lovely and hit his flat spot like he usually does but he stayed on well. 'Tim and Mr (Bill) Gredley had this plan and it's great that we have pulled it off. There are some big pots on the Flat and he's a lovely dual-purpose horse now. 'To win the Chester Cup is fantastic, we've hit the crossbar a few times coming here, but it's nice to have a winner here and we've won the big one.' Davies told Sky Sports Racing: 'I'm very lucky to get the rides in this race I have and every time I have ridden in it I don't think I've had a bad ride. 'He got a good draw which always helps round here and he jumped good, I was able to hold my pitch and then he was gutsy. He stays well and had the perfect profile coming into the race. 'He loved that dead ground and while everything else was sort of half struggling, he just cruised on through – what a tough horse and I'm delighted for connections. 'He's a strong traveller and when horses have run over hurdles they learn how to relax better and in a race like this where you have to really rev them to hold their pitch, if they can then relax and drop the bridle there is nothing better. 'James has been very supportive of me and the Gredley Family have also been happy for me to ride their horses and I was delighted when I got the ride on this fella.'
South Wales Guardian
09-05-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
East India Dock flies home for Chester Cup honours
Successful aboard Hugo Palmer's Zoffee 12 months ago, Davies is now forming a blossoming relationship with Newmarket handler James Owen and delivered the Triumph Hurdle third to perfection in the prestigious £170,000 handicap. It was Ryan Moore who set the fractions aboard Joseph O'Brien's Leinster and when the leading jockey allowed his mount to stride on passing the five-furlong marker on the second circuit, the four-year-old appeared full of running. The field swarmed rounding the home turn with George Scott's progressive Caballo De Mar laying down a stern challenge and hitting the front a furlong out, but East India Dock was staying on with every stride as the 9-4 favourite turned Cheltenham Festival disappointment into Roodee delight. 🏆 East India Dock wins the Ladbrokes Chester Cup! 🏆 Harry Davies does it AGAIN!#ITVRacing | @ChesterRaces — ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 9, 2025 Owen's charge returned a length verdict over Caballo De Mar, with defending champion and Davies' old favourite Zoffee an honourable third, and the winning trainer was delighted to see a plan come together for his owners. He said: 'He travelled lovely and hit his flat spot like he usually does but he stayed on well. 'Tim and Mr (Bill) Gredley had this plan and it's great that we have pulled it off. There are some big pots on the Flat and he's a lovely dual-purpose horse now. 'To win the Chester Cup is fantastic, we've hit the crossbar a few times coming here, but it's nice to have a winner here and we've won the big one.' Davies told Sky Sports Racing: 'I'm very lucky to get the rides in this race I have and every time I have ridden in it I don't think I've had a bad ride. 'He got a good draw which always helps round here and he jumped good, I was able to hold my pitch and then he was gutsy. He stays well and had the perfect profile coming into the race. 'He loved that dead ground and while everything else was sort of half struggling, he just cruised on through – what a tough horse and I'm delighted for connections. 'He's a strong traveller and when horses have run over hurdles they learn how to relax better and in a race like this where you have to really rev them to hold their pitch, if they can then relax and drop the bridle there is nothing better. 'James has been very supportive of me and the Gredley Family have also been happy for me to ride their horses and I was delighted when I got the ride on this fella.'
