A top Tuesday for Oaks king O’Brien
Racing history was made on Platinum Jubilee Derby weekend, as aidan O’Brien landed a record 41st British classic when Ryan Moore-ridden Tuesday held on by a short head from favourite Emily Upjohn in the cazoo Oaks.
going into the race it had seemed the history-maker was more likely to be Hollie Doyle, who was trying to become the first female jockey to win a classic.
Well though her mount nashwa ran, her suspect stamina gave way as she crossed the line beaten almost three-and-a-half lengths in third leaving O’Brien, who has shaped the Flat racing world this century, to write another chapter in his remarkable career.
The record he bettered stretched back to 1863 and trainer John Scott — and O’Brien beat it with his 10th Oaks success on a fitting stage in dramatic fashion.
as the 13-2 shot Tuesday and 6-4 favourite Emily Upjohn flashed past the line locked together, the immediate reaction was that the Frankie Dettori-ridden runner-up had been an unlucky loser after slipping at the start and finding herself at the back of the field.
The bookmakers reacted by making Emily Upjohn, trained by John and Thady gosden, favourite for the arc in October.
But Tuesday, running on her third birthday, was side by side with the runner-up coming round Tattenham corner and an equally decisive moment was Moore’s decision to keep left and overtake rivals up the middle of the track while Dettori went right around the field.
The rematch will be eagerly awaited and could come as early as the irish Oaks. But the few precious inches Moore saved could have been decisive yesterday. it was another example of how well 38-year-old three-time champion jockey Moore, who was winning the Oaks for a fourth time, has been riding this season, a feat made all the more admirable given his jump jockey brother Josh remains seriously ill in hospital following his fall at Haydock last month.
acknowledging Josh’s situation, O’Brien said: ‘Every day we talk and the first thing we speak about is Josh. Every day we pray that Josh makes another little piece of improvement and keeps making those baby steps.
‘When that conversation is over it is straight on to business. Everyone is conscious and aware what the important things are. Then it is on to work.
‘Ryan is an incredibly professional person. He is deep and sensitive and cares a lot. He is very professional and when he has to do his job he just goes into a different zone — he knows that’s his job and he has to do it.’
To honour the memory of the late Lester Piggott, all jockeys wore black armbands at Epsom yesterday and there was a minute’s applause before racing.
On behalf of the sport, Moore placed a wreath at Piggott’s statue which looks out over the Downs.
The old maestro could not have executed a plan better than Moore did. Reflecting on Tuesday’s run, Moore added: ‘i was in front earlier than what i planned. She was still a bit raw with me and got a bit unbalanced. i felt i had more to give and would have been disappointed if she’d got beat. i always felt i was holding on.’
Tuesday had been placed in both the English and irish 1,000 guineas. She is a daughter of the late sire galileo, the rock of the coolmore Stud empire that has supplied O’Brien with a conveyor belt of equine talent, and a sister to the team’s 2016 Oaks winner Minding.
O’Brien is confident, given her late birthday, that what Tuesday did yesterday is only the start. The trainer said: ‘She is still a baby. She was only three today so it just goes to show what a fantastic filly she is.
‘it is unbelievable what she is doing. it is very possible there is a lot more to come from her. To be able to use her turn of foot over a mile and a half is what makes very good horses. come the autumn, what she could be is unbelievable.’
John gosden and Dettori will argue the same adjectives could still apply to Emily Upjohn.
it will be fascinating to see what happens.
Meanwhile, trainer Owen Burrow, who will be rooting for his old boss Sir Michael Stoute and Desert crown in this afternoon’s Derby, celebrated the biggest win of his training career when Hukum won the group One coronation cup.
IT has been a dozen years since Sir Michael Stoute landed the Cazoo Derby with Workforce, but DESERT CROWN (Epsom, 4.30) boasts all the credentials required to end that hiatus.
An impressive winner of the Dante Stakes at York, the Nathaniel colt coped well with easy ground on his Nottingham debut when routing his field and is likely to have stepped forward mentally and physically for that classy reappearance on the Knavesmire.
It is unlikely his master trainer had him fully wound up for his comeback so there could be any amount of improvement still to come and his ability to quicken and change gear sets him apart from much of today’s field.
The one question mark following two smooth victories on relatively flat tracks is how Desert Crown will cope with the undulations of Epsom.
However, the selection looks a well-balanced colt with a professional way of going and, although one or two of his rivals underperformed that day, his superiority was so apparent that it will be disappointing if he cannot confirm his apparent class this afternoon.
Needless to say, dangers abound in a race which looks packed full of potentially topclass colts and there has been no disguising the admiration Ryan Moore has for Stone Age, who appears the premier Ballydoyle hope.
A sparkling Leopardstown performance saw the Galileo colt slashed in price and Moore was effusive in his praise for Stone Age, who looks nicely drawn in stall four and arrives with plenty of confidence behind his chance. Trainer Aidan O’Brien is three-handed in the showpiece. His two Chester winners at the start of last month, Changingoftheguard and Star Of India, both appear stayers who have live chances.
Preference is for the latter, who looks overpriced for a horse that galloped all the way to the line in the Dee Stakes and is bred to relish today’s assignment.
He is fancied to run a big race, as is Nations Pride, who was supplemented on Monday following some strong homework.
A Newmarket win in a minor event may not scream future Derby winner, but his closing sectional time was on a par with the competitive seven-furlong handicap won by Shine So Bright, so Nations Pride appears to have the perfect blend of speed and stamina for an examination like today’s.