Thursday’s Darley-sponsored Yorkshire Oaks is the second of three Breeders’ Cup Challenge contests at this week’s Ebor meeting – and all eyes will be on potential superstar Snowfall as she bids to add to thumping Oaks victories at Epsom and the Curragh.
Racegoers at York may be forgiven a sense of deja vu, as last year’s Yorkshire Oaks was utterly dominated by Snowfall’s year-older Ballydoyle stablemate Love. She arrived after posting wide-margin Classic victories at Newmarket and Epsom, including a record-breaking nine-length triumph at the latter venue in last year’s Oaks, delayed until July owing to Covid.
However, anything Love has done, Snowfall has been doing better. The daughter of Japanese legend Deep Impact routed her Oaks rivals by 16 lengths before scoring by 8½ at the Curragh, where stable companion Divinely was second.
Now Snowfall is set to start hot favourite to complete a G1 treble at York, where she again joined in the Aidan O’Brien team by outsiders Divinely and La Joconde.
But she is likely to face a bigger test this time - from a horse who is just one place behind her in the TRC Global Rankings. Indeed, world #12 Wonderful Tonight, who runs unless the ground is judged to be too fast, is bidding to complete a five-timer after a workmanlike effort over further in G2 company at Goodwood. All roads lead to the Arc for owner Chris Wright’s admirable 4-year-old.
Ribblesdale Stakes 1-2 Loving Dream and Eshaada also feature in this 1m4f event, which is part of the Qipco British Champions Series.
Yorkshire Oaks: a bit of context
History: Originally did what it said on the tin as a race restricted to fillies of the Classic generation when it began in 1849. It was only as recently as 1991 that this G1 was opened to older fillies and mares, but there have already been three dual winners: Only Royale (1993, 1994), Islington (2002, 2003) and Enable (2017, 2019).
Star turn: Enable (2019) – straightforward brilliance and consider the form – beaten 2¾ lengths into second was arch-rival Magical, easily shrugged off in a dominant front-running display as Enable extended her winning streak to 12. Handicappers rated this as Enable’s top effort during her 5-year-old campaign on official ratings – and enough for a share of top spot in the end-of-year world rankings.
Most wins (trainer): Matthew Dawson (9): Leonie (1868), Gertrude (1870), Spinaway (1875), Lady Golightly (1877), Jannette (1878), Wheel Of Fortune (1879), Dutch Oven (1882), Britomartis (1883), Clochette (1884).
Sir Michael Stoute (9): Fair Salinia (1978), Sally Brown (1985), Untold (1986), Hellenic (1990), Pure Grain (1995), Petrushka (2000), Islington (2002, 2003), Quiff (2004).
Most wins (jockey): Fred Archer (8): Spinaway (1875), Lady Golightly (1877), Jannette (1878), Wheel Of Fortune (1879), Dutch Oven (1882), Britomartis (1883), Clochette (1884), Philosophy (1886).
Breeders’ Cup Challenge
The winner will receive will receive an automatic fees-paid berth in the Maker’s Mark Filly & Mare Turf at the two-day championships at Del Mar on November 5-6. A minimum travel allowance of $40,000 will also be provided for all starters based outside North America; the Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup programme or nominated by the pre-entry deadline to receive the rewards.
Already qualified (3): Queen Supreme (Paddock Stakes), Gran Alegria (Victoria Mile), Gran Premio Pamplona (Reina De Mollando)
Breeders’ Cup past performance
While none of last year’s principals went on to Keeneland, the Yorkshire Oaks often produces a serious contender for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Islington won her second in 2003 before scoring at Santa Anita; she had been third 12 months previously at Arlington after her first Yorkshire Oaks triumph.
Other notable recent efforts include Midday, beaten a neck by Shared Account as defending champ in 2010 after winning at York, and The Fugue, who three years later was an unlucky third to Zagora after meeting trouble in running.
Top contenders for 2021
Snowfall (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) – superstar in the making after completing Oaks double with two thumping wide-margin triumphs in England and Ireland, including record-breaking 16-length annihilation at Epsom; the current world #11 also has winning form at this venue, having started season with Musidora Stakes victory; gets weight meeting older horses for first time and likely to be hard to beat..
Wonderful Tonight (David Menuisier/William Buick) – 4-year-old filly whose primary target this year is the Arc (for which Snowfall is the current favourite) after pair of G1 successes at ParisLongchamp last term; looked good in Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and on five-timer after workmanlike success over further at Goodwood (didn’t seem to stay 1m6f); likes cut and missed King George owing to ground conditions; must concede plenty of weight to the 3-year-olds at wfa.
Eshaada (Roger Varian/Jim Crowley) – compromised by wide trip when beaten three-quarters of a length by Loving Dream in Ribblesdale on only third start of her life; had previous won nicely and Nottingham and Newbury and fancied to turn the tables with Royal Ascot conqueror, but still requires big improvement to trouble on-form Snowfall.
Loving Dream (John & Thady Gosden/Frankie Dettori) – improved form with surprise 18/1 victory in Ribblesdale Stakes (beating York rivals Eshaada and Divinely); looks a proper stayer, unsuited by false pace on soft ground previously when beaten favourite in Lingfield Oaks Trial.
What they say
David Menuisier (trainer of Wonderful Tonight)
“I’ve been at Deauville for the last few days and it’s been very hot, so I would much prefer to run her at York, where the ground is good, with the possibility of a shower to hopefully maintain it. William [Buick] will ride again, and Olivier [Peslier] can still get some experience on her for the Arc when we plan to run her again at Longchamp next month in the Vermeille or the Foy.
“I feel she will be better off running twice before the Arc as she’s so generous that she needs the lid kept on her, and I’d rather race her to keep her under control than burn her out galloping her at home. If all of a sudden we end up on good to firm we may not run, but it doesn’t look like changing dramatically before Thursday.”
Roger Varian (trainer of Eshaada)
“Eshaada is still very lightly raced and looks a high-calibre filly. I thought we were a touch unlucky when she was beaten at Royal Ascot. Take nothing away from the winner, who won nicely, but we were done no favours by a wide draw and we covered a lot of ground that day. We’d thought the Ribblesdale was the race for her and it nearly was. We hadn’t put her in the Oaks as we weren’t sure Epsom would be her sort of track and when it closed she had only won a Nottingham maiden.
“She is big and rangy, and she’s got middle-distances written all over her. She’s a scopey filly who should still have improvement in her.”