Darley Irish Oaks |
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| Grade 1, Curragh 17:45 €400,000 added, 3yo fillies, 1m 4f, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 16th July 2016 | |
1 Seventh Heaven 14/1
2 Architecture 6/1
3 Harlequeen 14/1
NR: Way To My Heart (IRE)
11 ran Distances: 2¾l, 1¼l, 4l
TIME 2m 34.53s (slow by 4.03s)
Seventh Heaven produces a definitive performance to land the Darley Irish Oaks
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Pretty Perfect, one of four Aidan O'Brien-trained runners in the contest, set a testing gallop in front for the first mile and a quarter of the contest, with Seventh Heaven and stablemate Even Song, the hot favourite, held up well in rear.
But whereas Even Song was never able to make any gains and proved highly disappointing, Seventh Heaven steadily cut her way through the pack from the two-furlong pole under a confident ride.
Architecture, pulled out to make her challenge by Frankie Dettori with over a furlong to run, briefly collided with the winner, and looked for a few strides as if she might go one better than her Epsom second.
However, the challenge of the 14/1 winner proved irrepressible and she galloped clear to score by two and three-quarter lengths from Architecture, who confirmed form with Epsom third Harlequeen, Mick Channon's filly making late gains under Silvestre de Sousa to occupy the same placing again.
Ajman Princess, trained by Roger Varian, was re-shod at the start, but never appeared happy in the race and ultimately finished a long way behind the rest of the field.
Heffernan admitted victory had come as a pleasant surprise.
"It was a Group One and we went at a Group One pace," he told At The Races. "I was always travelling great, but if you'd given me the choice before the race I'd have given back half the prize money to ride Even Song. That's the way it can be with fillies though. Sometimes they just don't turn up."
Darley Irish Oaks (Group 1)
€400,000 added, 3yo only, 1m 4f
11 ran
Going: Good
| Pos | Dr | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (9) | Seventh Heaven (IRE) 14/1 | J A Heffernan 9-0 |
A P O'Brien | 3 | |
| 2nd | (3) | 2¾ | Architecture (IRE) 6/1 | L Dettori 9-0 |
H Palmer | 3 |
| 3rd | (2) | 1¼ | Harlequeen 14/1 | S De Sousa 9-0 |
M R Channon | 3 |
| 4th | (4) | 4 | Turret Rocks (IRE) 14/1 | K J Manning 9-0 |
J S Bolger | 3 |
| 5th | (6) | ½ | Somehow (IRE) 14/1 | D O'Brien 9-0 |
A P O'Brien | 3 |
| 6th | (12) | 5 | An Cailin Orga (IRE) 80/1 | R P Whelan 9-0 |
J S Bolger | 3 |
| 7th | (7) | 4¼ | Even Song (IRE) 4/5f | R L Moore 9-0 |
A P O'Brien | 3 |
| 8th | (11) | hd | Red Stars (IRE) 33/1 | D P McDonogh 9-0 |
J M Oxx | 3 |
| 9th | (8) | 1 | We Are Ninety (IRE) 25/1 | P J Smullen 9-0 |
H Palmer | 3 |
| 10th | (10) | 1¾ | Pretty Perfect (IRE) 9/1 | C O'Donoghue 9-0 |
A P O'Brien | 3 |
| 11th | (5) | 75 | Ajman Princess (IRE) 14/1 | Andrea Atzeni 9-0 |
R Varian | 3 |
| NR | (1) | Way To My Heart (IRE) 200/1 | Anastasia O'Brien 9-0 |
Joseph P O'Brien | 3 |
