Minding Completes Classic Double in Oaks Win
Description:
Minding overcame traffic trouble in the early stretch and won the £475,000 Investec Epsom Oaks (Eng-I) June 3, giving trainer Aidan O'Brien a sixth triumph in the English filly classic.
The daughter of Galileo, the 10-11 favorite, was snatched up soon after turning into the straight by Ryan Moore, but went on to score by 1 3/4 lengths from Architecture, with Harlequeen third. With the win, she becomes the first to complete the One Thousand Guineas and Oaks double since Kazzia pulled it off in 2002.
In between her two classic wins Minding was upset in the Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-I), finishing a close second despite banging her head on leaving the starting gate. With Friday's Oaks victory, she earned a fourth win at the top level, which also includes last year's Dubai Fillies Mile (Eng-I) en route to the Cartier Award as Europe's champion 2-year-old filly of 2015.
Moore, who rode Snow Fairy to success in the 2010 Oaks, didn't have the easiest of passages throughout the race but Minding responded well when she found daylight to move alongside the runner-up Architecture and she powered away strongly to get the win.
"I had a charmed run and then all the boys wanted to get moving and came on top of me," said Moore.
"[Australian Queen, who finished last after Diamonds Pour Moi was pulled up] was dropping back and I had nowhere to go at that stage.
"[Minding] is a good filly and got me out of trouble. She is much the best. Her class got her out of trouble and she will be effective at shorter distances."
Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Architecture missed the trouble encountered by Minding by travelling on the outside. She was in front at the two-furlong pole but was gradually run down by Minding.
Minding covered 1 1/2 miles on good to soft turf in 2:42.66.
O'Brien praised Moore's winning ride.
"Ryan did brilliantly to win on her given what she went through during the race--they make an incredible pair," said O'Brien, who trains the winner for Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, and Michael Tabor.
"Real heart and guts and courage had to come into it during the last furlong and a half, but she had all that in abundance like all the Galileos. When you go digging they usually give it.
"We'll probably give her a little easy time now, although the lads will have a talk about what they want to do. It was tough enough to come back here after the Curragh, which was a tough race on soft ground.
"The thing she had in her favor was that she was hacking throughout the whole race--that was class. It was still some effort. Ryan was very cool, and while he went after the runner-up (Architecture, who was making her way home having pulled clear of the rest) he didn't panic. She had to go into reserves and she did."
Minding was bred in Ireland by Orpendale, Chelston, Wynatt from Coolmore and partners' group I winner Lillie Langtry, also the dam of Kissed by Angels, a full sister to Minding.
Harlequeen finished third, eight lengths behind Architecture, with Somehow, Skiffle, Seventh Heaven, Turret Rocks, and Australian Queen completing the order of finish. Diamonds Pour Moi was eased five furlongs out and pulled up.