Darley Yorkshire Oaks
Group 1, York 15:40 £365,825 added, 3yo plus, 1m 4f, Class 1
Thursday 20th August 2015

1 Pleascach 8/1
2 Covert Love 15/8F
3 Sea Calisi 7/1
11 ran Distances: nk, nk, ¾l
TIME 2m 32.77s (slow by 4.77s)

Pleascach wins the Darley Yorkshire Oaks for Godolphin, Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning

Pleascach
© Caroline Norris

Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Pleascach and Kevin Manning win for Jim Bolger from Irish Oaks winner Covert Love.

Pleascach stayed on best of them all to get up in the shadow of the post and claim a battling success on the Knavesmire.

Although put in her place by Covert Love in the Irish Oaks last time out, the Jim Bolger-trained filly reversed the placings to clinch a narrow victory in the Group One event.

Covert Love set a sedate pace early on, with Pat Smullen looking to turn the race into a sprint and kick on from the front.

The move looked to have worked as the 15-8 favourite appeared to have all her rivals on the ropes entering the concluding stages of the mile-and-a-half feature.

But deep inside the final furlong Hugo Palmer's charge saw her stride just start to shorten, while a determined Kevin Manning continued to get more from the eventual winner.

As the post loomed, the 8-1 winner finally wore down the long-time leader to put her head in front by a neck, adding to her victory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas earlier this season.

Bolger was winning the race for the first time since Lush Lashes in 2008. French challenger Sea Calisi was a further neck away in third.

The winner was given a fine ride by Kevin Manning, who said: "She battled all the way to the line and she's done it very well.

"I thought she ran a little bit flat the last day and didn't run up to scratch.

"I thought she was back to her best when I rode her work last week.

"She goes on various types of ground and is a very talented filly."

Bolger said: "Previously we tried to settle her a little bit and it meant breaking her stride and Kevin decided whatever happened he wasn't going to break her stride today. He gave her a beautiful ride

"We knew she was at the top of her game coming here.

"We'll have to see how she comes out of this, but maybe something at Longchamp like the Prix de l'Opera."

Godolphin's bloodstock advisor John Ferguson said of the winner: "Kevin said a furlong and a half out he knew he was going to win.

"Quite simply Jim Bolger is a master trainer. He told me beforehand that he felt he had her back to her best.

"She disappointed at Royal Ascot and in the Pretty Polly, so it's great she's come back and shown her form.

"We'll be guided by Jim as to where to go. It's possible she could stay in training next year. She looks the type to carry on improving."

Palmer said of Covert Love: "She's run absolutely brilliantly. The top Group One winners in the field have dominated and it's a huge boost to the Irish Classic form.

"A massive operation may have run a pacemaker today. That's the advantage they have, but I'm so proud of her.

"She still needs to fill her frame and can only get better.

"If she had bolted up we'd have considered the Leger, but she didn't. She's in at Ascot and she could go there, but she doesn't need to run again."

Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Fillies' Group 1)
(British Champions Series)
£365,825 added, 3yo plus, 1m 4f, Class 1
11 ran
Going: Good to Soft