Baraka pulled out of French oaks

Aidan O’Brien’s bad luck in the Classics this season continued today when the Ballydoyle trainer had to withdraw Baraka from the Prix de Diane Hermes (French Oaks) at Chantilly.

The runaway Lingfield Oaks Trial winner was found to be suffering from a cough and in the end did not travel to France.

Her withdrawal left just two foreign raiders, the Jim Bolger-trained Alexander Goldrun and Clive Brittain’s Menhoubah.

Baraka’s withdrawal follows on from O’Brien’s other late Classic defectors, One Cool Cat (Irish 2000 Guineas) and Yeats (Vodafone Derby).