Darley Yorkshire Oaks
Group 1, York 15:40 £365,750 added, 3yo plus, 1m 4f, Class 1
Thursday 18th August 2016

1 Seventh Heaven 100/30
2 Found 2/1F
3 Queen's Trust 6/1
12 ran Distances: 2¾l, 1¼l, 5l
TIME 2m 28.50s (slow by 0.50s)

Seventh Heaven hands Aidan O’Brien a fourth win in the Yorkshire Oaks

Dutch Connection
© Racehorse Photos

The daughter of Galileo landed the Irish Oaks on her last start and added another Group One to her haul, producing a powerful surge to overhaul Queen's Trust at the furlong pole and stretch clear for a commanding two-and-three-quarter lengths victory.

Stablemate Found (2/1 favourite), who was expected to need the run on her return from an absence, travelled well for a long way and came through for second, ahead of Queen's Trust who confirmed her runner-up spot behind Minding in the Nassau was no fluke.

Bookies cut the winner 5/1 from 12/1 for the QIPCO Filly & Mares Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot and 16/1 for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.

Winning jockey Colm O'Donoghue said: "These are Ryan's (Moore) rides, hopefully we're looking after them for him and he's getting back soon. She's a very good filly. She was obviously a Classic winner coming here and was getting the weight allowance from some older fillies, so we made use of it.

"She's tough and genuine and has a great temperament and a beautiful action. This is what we all work every year for. It's nice to get the opportunity and to take it."

O'Brien was thrilled with the performances of both the winner and the second.

He said: "We were delighted with Seventh Heaven at home and Colm gave her a beautiful ride. She came forward lovely from the Curragh and we thought the track and ground and trip would suit her well. The lads will decide what they want to do, but she's a lot of options. She's a beautiful traveller and is a massive, rangy filly that handles fast ground very well.

"She has plenty of class and has the option of all those fillies races and there's the option of the Filly & Mare Turf in America (Breeders' Cup)) at the end of the year. I'd say she's going to make a real four-year-old, because she's big and rangy."

Of Found, the trainer added: "She was just ready to start, but she'd an awful lot of class and we knew that. She got a little bit tired and Seamus (Heffernan) looked after her.

"The plan was to go to the Curragh (Royal Whip Stakes on Sunday) and then maybe go to Leopardstown (Irish Champion Stakes) and then maybe go to France for the Arc.

"We came out a bit earlier as we were going to leave US Army Ranger running by himself at the Curragh. Nothing might change from the plan. The lads will see the horses run at the weekend and the pattern should become apparent after that.."

Chris Richardson, for owners Cheveley Park Stud, said of Queen's Trust: "It was no disgrace to finish third to those two fillies - a Classic winner and a Breeders' Cup winner. Michael said she seems to be effective over that trip as well as over 10 furlongs. We'll see how she comes out of the race and then see what to do. There are options abroad we may consider, but she will only get better."

Charlie Appleby blamed the ground for Endless Time's disappointing effort.

He said: "It was the ground. Her ability got her into the race, but she wouldn't let herself down on that ground."

Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Fillies' Group 1)
(British Champions Series)
£365,750 added, 3yo plus, 1m 4f, Class 1
12 ran
Going: Good to Firm