Snowfall smashes rivals to win the Epsom Oaks

As the 35 Breeders' Cup World Championships approached, one of the main storylines involved a European superstar who was planning an overseas jaunt with an elusive goal in her sights. Enable, owned by Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms and trained by John Gosden, had already established herself as one of the best racehorses of the 21 century by…

Aidan O'Brien has a perfect 4-4 record with Irish Oaks winners in the Yorkshire Oaks and Savethelastdance is the latest Curragh queen to test her mettle on the Knavesmire. Alexandrova kicked off O'Brien's golden touch with Classic scorers in this top-level event in 2006, with Peeping Fawn following up - via a Nassau victory at Glorious Goodwood -…

Curragh heroine Savethelastdance is joined in the line-up by her stable-mate Warm Heart, the Ribblesdale winner. Their trainer Aidan O'Brien has already won the race six times, but the pair face strong opposition in the £500000 Group 1, which is part of the British Champions Series. Bluestocking, who was having only her fourth race when second in…

Epsom runner-up Savethelastdance bids to go one better in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh - in which stablemate and Royal Ascot winner Warm Heart is seen as her main threat. Savethelastdance, the choice of Ryan Moore, was an unheralded filly through the winter having only finished fifth on her sole start at two. She reappeared in April on…

Epsom runner-up Savethelastdance bids to go one better in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh - in which stablemate and Royal Ascot winner Warm Heart is seen as her main threat. Savethelastdance, the choice of Ryan Moore, was an unheralded filly through the winter having only finished fifth on her sole start at two. She reappeared in April on…

Epsom runner-up Savethelastdance bids to go one better in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh - in which stablemate and Royal Ascot winner Warm Heart is seen as her main threat. Savethelastdance, the choice of Ryan Moore, was an unheralded filly through the winter having only finished fifth on her sole start at two. She reappeared in April on…

Aidan O'Brien looks likely to hold a pair of aces in this weekend's Juddmonte Irish Oaks as the Ballydoyle maestro eyes a record-breaking seventh success in the fillies' Classic at the Curragh. O'Brien stands at the head of the roll of honour with Michael Stoute but he could unleash two big players with Savethelastdance and Warm Heart possibly…

It might be Frankie Dettori's farewell tour but he is producing some of his finest work and an 80th Royal Ascot winner came his way when Porta Fortuna obliged in the Group 3 Albany Stakes. The filly provided trainer Donnacha O'Brien with a memorable first winner at the meeting, but it was hard not to escape Frankie fever as he entered the winner's…

In another first, the filly, who is a half-sister to Menuisier's QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares winner Wonderful Tonight, will be ridden by top Italian rider Cristian Demuro, who has yet to ride at Epsom. Friday's Classic, which is part of the QIPCO British Champions Series, has gone to either Aidan O'Brien or John Gosden every year since…

This year's Betfred Oaks (4.30 Epsom, Friday) is shaping up to be an enthralling race with a stellar cast assembled for the Group 1 contest. Here, we go through the form of the leading contenders and produce an early verdict on who will come out on top. Form: 5-11 Strengths: She made most to win a Leopardstown maiden on her three-year-old debut and…

Father Gianfranco Dettori (13-time champion jockey in Italy; won 2000 Guineas on Bolkonski 1975, Wollow 1976) Apprenticed to Luca Cumani, Newmarket 1987-89 First winner Rif, Turin, November 16, 1986 First winner in Britain Lizzy Hare, Goodwood, June 9, 1987 Lost claim Versailles Road, Beverley, July 18, 1989 First Group winner Legal Case (1989…

Frankie Dettori's mount Emily Upjohn was the favourite for the big race at Epsom on Friday. Full 1-2-3 result here and odds as Tuesday galloped to victory at the Derby Festival Tuesday ridden by Ryan Moore (right) wins the Cazoo Oaks Tuesday held on in an absorbing finish to the Cazoo Oaks at Epsom Racecourse. The Group 1, with a first prize of…

Comparisons with the legendary Enable are only set to continue as Emily Upjohn is primed to give Frankie Dettori another flying dismount moment at Epsom. Fan favourite Dettori may have a mixed record in the Derby - with two wins from 26 starts - but in the fillies showpiece Cazoo Oaks (4.30pm) he's in a different class. Six of his 20 English…

THE Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is the race that stops a continent. Worth a stonking £4.3million, Europe's richest contest always throws up a top class winner. This year's race over 1½ miles takes place at Longchamp on Sunday October 3 - and it looks to be an absolute stonker. Epsom Oaks winner Snowfall was the runaway favourite but has now drifted…

Eight top-level Group One winners are among 14 hopefuls in Sunday's 100th running of Europe's richest race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Adayar will bid to become only the third horse to complete the Derby, King George, Arc treble at ParisLongchamp. Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby also saddles St Leger winner Hurricane Lane. Breeders' Cup Turf…

Aidan O'Brien feels the forecast rain in Paris will suit his leading Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe fancy Snowfall better than her rivals after the filly was officially supplemented alongside Derby and King George hero Adayar for Sunday's showpiece at a cost of €120000 on Wednesday. The dual Oaks winner was turned over at odds of 1-5 by Teona in a…

Snowfall: seeking a fourth Group 1 success on Sunday Ten of the last 21 Arc winners prepped on this card and you don't need to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of form across Britain, Ireland and France to appreciate that by far the most likely candidate to add to that haul is the current ante-post favourite, Snowfall. Wildly impressive against her…

Snowfall bids to continue her faultless campaign by providing trainer Aidan O'Brien with a sixth victory in the Darley York shire Oaks. It is 15 years since O'Brien's Alexandrova added to her wins in the Oaks at Epsom and the Irish Oaks at the Curragh with a dominant display on the Knavesmire, and Snowfall will be a very short price to repeat the…

Snowfall: heading for the Yorkshire Oaks next Thursday Snowfall remains on course to become the second horse in the last five years to complete the English, Irish and Darley Yorkshire Oaks clean sweep as she headlined ten confirmations for the Group 1 (3.35) on the second day of York's Ebor festival next Thursday. The Aidan O'Brien-trained daughter…

Sensational, spellbinding and still the prospect there could be more to come. It seemed impossible that anything could raise the temperature on a scorching Saturday at the Curragh, but somehow Snowfall - of all elements - did just that with a red-hot Juddmonte Irish Oaks performance. A 16-length demolition job at Epsom ensured her place in history…

The 2-7 favourite - ridden by Ryan Moore - gave another blistering performance to become the 15th filly to secure the double. Divinely was second to give trainer Aidan O'Brien a one-two, while Nicest - trained by O'Brien's son Donnach - was half a length away in third. "She's very smart and she has a lot of quality," said Aidan O'Brien. Snowfall,…

Snowfall was abrilliant 16-length winner of the Cazoo Oaks at Epsom, England, on Friday, giving her trainer Aidan O'Brien a 40th British Classic success and jockey Frankie Dettori his 21st. The win was a second British Classic this season for the 50-year-old Italian rider, following Mother Earth's QIPCO 1000 Guineas triumph at Newmarket, England,…

It is a plan which has been a year in the making and the curtain looks certain to finally come down on Enable's glittering career following Sunday's Prix de l' Arc de Triomphe on Sunday. John Gosden's superstar is attempting to make history by landing three runnings of the iconic autumn final at ParisLongchamp, a year after she finished second to…

Enable produced another sparkling display to claim an unprecedented third victory in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes. John Gosden's superstar mare was narrowly denied in her bid to become the first three-time winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe last season - and has been kept in training as a six-year-old with the primary…

The Darley Yorkshire Oaks is usually won by a smart filly but this year it was won by a filly that is fast becoming a superstar. The Aidan O'Brien trained Snowfall was well enough thought of as a two year old to have connections aiming her at Group 1 prizes but she never really made an impact. At three she has been a revelation. She started the…