bet365 Lancashire Oaks
Group 2, Haydock Park 14:40
£125,000 guaranteed,
Fillies 3yo plus,
1m 3f 175y, Class 1   
Saturday 5th July 2025

1 Estrange 2/7F
2 Scenic 3/1
3 Love Talk 100/1
4 ran Distances: nk, 8½l, 1¾l
Time: 2m 36.15s (slow by 6.75s)

This wasn’t a procession. This wasn’t the coronation many expected. But Estrange, for all her elegance and lofty reputation, showed she’s got the heart to match the hype—and she needed every ounce of it to land a thrilling renewal of the bet365 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

Just four faced the starter, but this was no formality. Sent off the red-hot 2-7 favourite after a deeply impressive romp in the Lester Piggott Stakes over course and distance, David O’Meara’s grey standard-bearer—carrying the familiar Cheveley Park silks—had the Arc whisperers out in force once again. But if May was a breeze, this was a battle.

The pace angle was Love Talk, the rank outsider sent straight into the lead, setting a tempo that forced a rethink in the saddle from Danny Tudhope. And while Estrange cruised up to eyeball the leader with two furlongs to run, the game wasn’t over. Far from it.

Because Scenic—beautifully judged by James Doyle—was lurking. Covered up, patient, and poised. And when Estrange moved, Scenic followed.

The final furlong? A duel. A proper toe-to-toe. But when it mattered most, class told. Just. A neck the margin. No more, no less.

“She didn’t drop the bridle like she normally does,” O’Meara told Racing TV afterwards. “Danny said she was a bit more on it today, maybe chasing the leader earlier than we’d like. She’s usually fast asleep mid-race—but not today.”

Still, job done. That’s now four wins from five starts for the filly by Kingman, and her first at Group Two level. And with that box ticked, Paddy Power were swift to act, trimming her Arc odds to 12-1 from 20s.

“She’s very relaxed, very straightforward,” O’Meara added. “Today maybe didn’t play to her usual strengths, but she coped. We didn’t want quick ground so the bit of rain was a bonus. She’s not ground-dependent, but she’s not a rattling-ground horse either.”

Next stop? The Yorkshire Oaks, all being well—with five or six weeks to fine-tune. And while today might not have had the visual dazzle of her previous win, it offered something just as valuable: grit.

Because even champions have to scrap sometimes.

Bet365 Lancashire Oaks
£125,000 guaranteed, 3yo plus, 1m 3f 175y, Class 1
4 ran
Going: Good

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (4    Estrange 4 9-7 David O'Meara Daniel Tudhope 2/7F
2 (2) nk Scenic 5 9-7 Ed Walker James Doyle 3/1
3 (1) 8½ Love Talk 3 8-9 Grant Tuer Jason Hart 100/1
4 (3) 1¾ Nuit 3 8-9 Henry De Bromhead Hector Crouch 25/1

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