Minnie Hauk completed an Oaks four-timer with a neat victory in the Pertemps Network 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.
“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.”
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