Lush lashes Oaks rivals en route to course record
The Knavesmire feature had originally been on the radar for Jim Bolger’s three-year-old after her unlucky second earlier in the month, but that plan was aborted once York was received its heavy downpour.
With quick ground forecast at Headquarters, Bolger rerouted the Musidora winner and she went on to prove her versatility and class under Kevin Manning.
Having scored over a mile and a quarter in the Musidora, she showed her brilliance at a mile in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and successfully saw out the mile-and-a-half trip on the July Course.
Manning rode a race full of confidence on the even-money favourite and having been settled last of the six runners, she took the sting out of the field when quickening over a furlong out.
Once in the clear, Manning only had to keep up the momentum on the Oaks fifth to hold the John Gosden-trained pair of Dar Re Mi and Michita in a time of two minutes 25.11 seconds.
Bolger said: “Stamina was an issue but it wasn’t a big issue. I never really had any doubts about the mile and a half at Epsom, and we felt all of the time that she didn’t handle the track as it was presented on the day.
“All the very good horses win Group Ones over a mile, a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half.
“Ireland has a great record of turning out horses to win Classics at a mile and then going on to win Group Ones over a mile and a half. I am not saying your trainers haven’t either, but it does happen.
“All those distances come alike to her so she has plenty of options. She might even come back here for the Sun Chariot Stakes.
“She could well race on next year and go to Dubai in the spring. She has an invite to Hong Kong too, and we will give consideration to the Breeders’ Cup.
“There is also the Irish Champion Stakes, the Matron and the Prix Vermeille.”
Reflecting on the change of venue and the circumstances which allowed her to race, he added: “All the good trainers train their horses to the minute, but a week is enough for me. It is an inexact science anyway and I was never a minute man.
“We were very happy to come here and she was never going to York once the ground went soft.”
Manning added: “She got the trip very well today and to be fair, I felt she did in the Oaks at Epsom but she didn’t handle the track.
“They went a nice, even gallop so she sat in behind and she has quickened up nicely.
“She seems to be effective over different distances and she is a very tough filly.”
Gosden was more than satisfied with the performances of his placed duo.
He said: “Both Dar Re Mi and Michita ran absolute blinders. You can’t argue with having a second and a third in a Group One. The winner is a superior filly.
“Dar Re Mi is improving fast. She is on a big upswing. It’s not normal that you run them back after only eight days but she took the Prix Minerve (which she won) in Deauville so well and proved here that she is a high-class filly.
“The season draws in quickly now. Whether we will head to the Prix Vermeille on September 14 with Dar Re Mi, we will have to see. It is a little bit competitive with Zarkava in there.
“Michita could go for the Prix De Royallieu on October 4.”
