James Doyle masterclass as Sea Of Class swoops in Irish Oaks
A James Doyle masterclass aboard Sea Of Class ensured the remarkable record of overseas runners in the Darley Irish Oaks continued — and that was the theme for the day, as British-based trainers won all three group races and four in total on Saturday afternoon at the Curragh.
The William Haggas-trained Sea Of Class was the sole challenger to the home team sextet in the feature and had a little to prove stepping up from listed level. But Doyle rode the 11-4 chance with unflinching confidence, and it reaped ultimate reward as she came from last to first to deny Forever Together the Epsom-Curragh double.
Light on experience but laden with ability, she became the 10th overseas winner in the last 15 runnings of the race, and a ninth Group 1 winner for her sire, Sea The Stars, who made his debut on the same card 10 years previously.
Of Doyle’s brilliance in the saddle, the winning trainer said: “I asked him to be brave, but I didn’t half think he’d be that brave. He took it up fairly close home, but he said she was on her game today.”
Haggas struggled to watch the race, nerves, expectation or both contributing to an uneasy few minutes before the beautifully bred filly prevailed.
Explaining his mid-race uneasiness, Haggas admitted: “I did fancy her, and it’s a big race for us. We don’t come here very often. This is a very good filly and we know she’s a good filly, so you want it all to go right. And it has come right, thankfully. I’m a fledgling trainer for Mrs Tsui (owner) so it’s nice to deliver one of these early on.”
Unraced as a juvenile, the winner made her debut in April at Newmarket, where she finished second. The esteem in which she was held was evident when connections went straight to listed company following that defeat, and she rewarded them with a smooth success from Ballydoyle filly Athena.
She was prominent in the betting for the Oaks after that success but, after much deliberation and some intervention from the weather, Haggas chose a softer route to this race.
“She was at Gilltown all last year, she didn’t come over to us until Christmas,” he explained. “She always showed speed, and we were always looking at her pedigree thinking ‘aw, this filly shows speed and she should get a mile and a half, so she must have class’.
“We were never that keen on going to Epsom, but it’s an Oaks and Oaks’ are big things. I was just coming around to running (at Epsom) and fortunately it rained so someone up there was telling me not to run.
“To go and have a relatively easy race and have a bit more experience was great, and she has trained beautifully since.
“I asked James to be brave because she’s got a good turn of foot. I said: ‘If you are going to the front three out we are in trouble’.
“When I saw Ryan pushing and shoving I was pleased because I thought she (Magic Wand) looked magnificent in the parade ring and won really well at Royal Ascot. And then he (James) went and picked up Donnacha — just.
“James is in a rich vein of form at the moment, not only today, but he’s been riding very well all year.”
Of plans for the filly, he added: “This was the number one priority. Races like the Yorkshire Oaks and the Prix Vermeille are options, but I think Mrs Tsui will keep her next in training year, so we could do all those races next year.”
It was a perfect 3-2-1 for winning rider James Doyle, who had earlier won the Group 3 Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey Stakes aboard the Mark Johnston-trained Marie’s Diamond, and the Group 2 Friarstown Stud Minstrel Stakes aboard the David O’Meara-trained Larchmont Lad. The 30-year-old was particularly impressed with the Haggas filly.
“Today she was in a beautiful rhythm and was so relaxed,” he said. “I was always comfortable, and it was quite a spectacular performance.
“I’m so pleased to ride a Classic winner for William and Maureen. We’ve had lots of nice winners, but these are the ones you want and I’m so happy and pleased that I could pay back the faith they have shown in me.
“She is very exciting. I haven’t ridden for William for very long, but I don’t think I’ve seen him as excited before a big race, so I knew the signs were good.”
With Epsom heroine Forever Together just touched off and Ribblesdale winner Magic Wand a disappointing fifth, Aidan O’Brien remains without an Irish Classic winner in 2018, with just the St Leger to come. Order Of St George is a standing dish in that race and may have company from Ballydoyle as he bids to prevent the first Ballydoyle blank in the Irish Classics since 2005. The fourth cross-channel victor on the day was the Danny Tudhope-ridden Intisaab, who initiated a 44-1 double for trainer David O’Meara by winning the Tote Scurry Handicap.
