Pleascach Rallies Late to Win Yorkshire Oaks
Description:
One final effort by Pleascach in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Eng-I) Aug. 20 at York proved fruitful, as the Irish classic winner surged to the lead inside the final furlong to claim her second group I win of the season.
Godolphin Racing's Pleascach shadowed early leader and local 9-5 favorite Covert Love throughout the 1 1/2-mile test for 3-year-old fillies. Covert Love, who won the Darley Irish Oaks (Ire-I) July 18 at the Curragh appeared on her way to a second straight group I win at the distance—and fifth straight victory overall—when the daughter of Azamour withstood several challenges from Pleasach inside the final three furlongs.
But in the final eighth, Pleasach and jockey Kevin Manning mounted one final effort, and this time the Tattersalls Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-I) winner slipped past. Covert Love held second with Sea Calisi edging Curvy for third.
Sent off locally at 8-1, Pleasach completed the 1 1/2 miles in 2:32.77 on good-to-soft turf to register her longest race victory to date. The victory ensures Pleasach a spot in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Keeneland, as the Yorkshire Oaks is a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" race.
Bred in Ireland by her trainer James Bolger, Pleascach is a daughter of Teofilo—Toirneach, by Thunder Gulch.
Earlier in the day, trainer William Haggas improved to 4-for-4 and secured his third group stakes win at the meeting when Besharah delivered a 2 1/4-length knockout of eight other 2-year-old fillies in the Pinsent Masons Lowther Stakes (Eng-II). The daughter of Kodiac completed the six-furlong test in 1:11.87 on good-to-soft turf.
On Wednesday Haggas won the Betway Great Voltigeur Stakes (Eng-II) with Storm the Stars and the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes (Eng-III) with Recorder.