Favourite Delivers in Derby but Huge Oaks Upset
Attention for many will have no doubt already turned to Royal Ascot but whilst we’ll have plenty of news and updates for that in due course, here we take a look back at the Derby and Oaks, as well as the other latest racing news.
Dettori Delivers Derby
Our Derby betting tips weren’t quite on the money as we opposed the favourite, although we did draw your attention to the brilliant offer from Coral that served up winner Golden Horn at 5/1 TO PLACE (he was generally available at odds of just 2/1 to win!).
It was another one-two for John Gosden’s pair, as, just as at the Dante, Jack Hobbs came in second but the Derby was all about one horse really and one jockey. Dettori’s win on Golden Horn was a hugely popular one and real confirmation that Dettori is back.
Owner Anthony Oppenheimer’s decision to supplement Golden Horn at a cost of £75,000 proved money VERY well spent as doubts over whether or not he would go the extra distance proved wholly unfounded. The win landed a very cool £800,000 – not a bad return on that £75k given the Gosden-trained star was backed in to 13/8.
Dettori said “When you’re young, you don’t really appreciate the full importance of this Derby, so it means a great deal to win it for a second time.” He then added, ominously for the rest, “I’ve had a colourful life, but I’m not finished.”
The winning margin was an impressive three and a half lengths with Storm The Stars finishing behind Jack Hobbs. Jack Hobbs had led after Hans Holbein and Elm Park made the early running but Dettori rode a fine race and had plenty to spare as he assumed the lead before charging to victory.
50/1 Winner of the Oaks!
If the Derby went very much according to the script, things were somewhat different in the fillies Classic as 50/1 shot Qualify caused a major upset to land the Oaks in an exciting, acion-packed race.
It was yet more success for Aidan O’Brien, with Colm O’Donoghue riding the outsider to victory ahead of the strong favourite Legatissimo in a photo finish with third place taken by Lady Of Dubai.
Ryan Moore, who has dominated the Classics thus far and also rode a five-timer at Newbury not so long ago, was strongly fancied for more glory on Legatissimo but ultimately came up short. The result stood, despite a stewards’ inquiry after some bumping during the race, meaning that Qualify became the joint highest odds Oaks winner in history to leave the bookies smiling.
We were smiling too, however, with our Oaks betting tips pointing to Lady Of Dubai each way at odds of 14/1 to land a decent profit. Jessica Harrington, who had hoped to become the first female to train an Oaks winner was left disappointed after Jack Naylor failed to shine but all in all it was a genuinely thrilling race and a real fairytale for O’Donoghue, for whom this was a first taste of Classic success.
American Pharoah Lands Triple Crown
On the other side of the Atlantic all eyes – and perhaps dictionaries given the misspelt name – were on American Pharoah who was looking to complete the first Triple Crown in 37 years in the Belmont Stakes. The three-year-old didn’t disappoint and with Victor Espinoza in the saddle ran out a comfortable winner to send the punters wild.
Hurricane Fly Fails to Fly
Legendary Cheltenham Festival great Hurrican Fly was seeking to land a hat-trick of Champion Hurdles on Sunday at Auteuil as the brilliant Ruby Walsh/Aiden O’Brien combination sort to add the French version – or the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil to use its full name – to their wins in both the English and Irish versions of the race.
Sadly for Hurricane Fly it wasn’t to be as the winner of a record 22 Grade One wins could only manage sixth place, with the 11-year-old well off the pace in the race won by David Pipe’s Un Temps Pour Tout.
