Harrington Gets Overdue Irish Oaks Win

For a fleeting moment it looked as if it might be child's play for Toy  and Aidan O'Brien, but ultimately one of Irish racing's most celebrated veterans walked away with an overdue first win in the July 26 Juddmonte Irish Oaks (G1).

Jessica Harrington has become the finest dual-purpose trainer in racing since first taking out a license in 1989, but Magical Lagoon was providing her with just a second Irish classic when producing a performance of class and sheer toughness under Shane Foley to narrowly hold off Toy .

Epsom Oaks (G1) runner-up Emily Upjohn  may not have graced us with her presence due to transport difficulties, but chances are that the ding-dong finish that emerged was helped by the absence of the Gosden-trained filly, an odds-on favorite when she was withdrawn on Friday.

When the news emerged, Harrington admitted that she felt the increased pressure, as the Yuesheng Zhang-owned filly, a game winner of last month's Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot, was immediately catapulted to short-priced favoritism.

"I was terrified when I heard the news," she joked. "With Emily Upjohn in the race we felt we were the underdog, and I love being the underdog."

It is clear, though, that Harrington has an improving filly on her hands, quite a different sort to Alpha Centauri, her previous Irish classic winner in the 2018 Irish One Thousand Guineas, but not lacking in heart and still relatively unexposed.

Harrington added: "It's only her third run this year and I would say she will improve again. And if she stays in training next year, she could be a fabulous filly."

Magical Lagoon, the 5-4 favorite, got a nice lead from outsider Show Of Stars and was a target from the two-furlong pole. Cairde Go Deo  threatened to throw down a real challenge, and when she began to fade, the Ryan Moore-ridden Toy produced a more persistent threat that lasted to the line.

Foley was not to be denied, though, and the daughter of Galileo kept finding for pressure, holding on by half a length, with Cairde Go Deo 2 3/4 lengths away in third.

"She's such a game filly, she always just does enough, and she is a wonderful filly to train for Mr. Zhang," Harrington said. "During the race I was concerned about who was behind us. I knew she would keep finding like she did at Ascot, although they probably did not go as quickly here as they did that day. She's in the Yorkshire Oaks (G1), and we'll see from there."

Runner-up Toy was backed down to 5-1 second favorite on her first try at the trip and she saw it out well. It was one of those races that could have turned out differently on another day.

O'Brien pointed out that nothing had gone right for the filly on her travels earlier in the year to the French One Thousand Guineas (G1) and French Oaks (G1). Here, with clear passage, she showed what she was capable of.

O'Brien said: "She kept staying, but the other filly just kept battling. We're delighted. We always felt she was a mile-and-a-quarter filly who could get a mile and a half, and that is what she did today. She will have an option of going to Goodwood for the Nassau Stakes, but we'll see how she is."