Thundering On is a sparkling winner of the Betfred Oaks

Betfred Oaks report, reaction, analysis and free video replay as Thundering On wins easily

Horse Racing

Fri June 05, 2026 · 1h ago

Joseph O'Brien's Thundering On was an easy winner of the Betfred Oaks under a cool Dylan Browne McMonagle at Epsom on Friday.

Betfred Oaks Result

1st THUNDERING ON 5/1
2nd Legacy Link 3/1
3rd Sugar Island 25/1

Click below for free video replay

Unlimited Replays

of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays

Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits Sporting Life Plus - Join For Free

Thundering On was a very impressive winner of the Betfred Oaks for Joseph O'Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle at Epsom on Friday.

The daughter of Frankel won the Salsabil Stakes at Navan last time over 10 furlongs and she came in here well-fancied on the back of that success, but she was a dominant victor after travelling all over her opposition.

Aidan O'Brien's Sugar Island took them along at a good gallop but with favourite and stablemate Amelia Earhart floundering it was left to Legacy Link to take up the running with a quarter of a mile to go.

Eyes were all trained on Thundering On, however, as she was travelling so smoothly on the shoulder of the leader and it simply looked a case of when McMonagle pressed the button.

That's how it panned out, the winner three-and-three-quarter lengths too good at the line.

McMonagle said: "We were coming into the race very confident. She's been improving with every run and there was never a moment's doubt really.

"I knew there was nothing coming from behind me and I had those in front covered. She's got a lot of class, great job from Joseph.

"It's unbelievable, this is what we all dream of doing. The sky's the limit for her."

A delighted Joseph O'Brien added: "The objective was to save as much energy as we could as the distance was the question mark. In the straight it was an easy watch.

"For her to be an Oaks winner is really special and Dylan gave her a fantastic ride."

Dylan Browne McMonagle celebrates aboard Thundering On

Winning owner Shapoor Mistry said: “Essentially, I have been breeding and racing since I was 18, and my family have been involved in racing in India for 40, 45 years now. My son decided he wanted to have a few horses racing here, so we gave our first filly to Joseph, and we got a Group One win out of her. Now we have a few horses in Newmarket and with Joseph, and we’re really enjoying ourselves.”

John Gosden, trainer of runner-up Legacy Link, said: “The winner came here with a big reputation after her good win the other day, and she’s a Frankel filly.

“They were well clear of the rest and Legacy Link has run an absolute blinder. We are delighted with her run, but she ran into one who was too good for her on this ground on the day. I think we both handled it though, and both handled it well. There were a lot of disappointments in the race, and it was a strung-out field.”

Colin Keane, rider of Legacy Link, added: “I was delighted with our filly. I thought we had a lovely run through the race and the gaps opened when I needed them. She got to the two (furlong post) well and I thought she picked up well, but then I saw this chestnut filly coming by me very easily. I don’t think it was lack of stamina. In other years we’d have been a good winner. I think we just bumped into a classy filly.”

Joseph’s father Aidan O’Brien said: “Sugar Island ran well. It was obviously different ground. but she ran a good race.

“We knew she handles soft ground and they went steady enough, so it probably suited her to be where she was.

“Ryan [Moore] said he maybe had to commit a little bit early on Amelia Earhart, but she ran a good race, and we think she’ll come forward from the run. She probably likes faster ground, but she won in soft ground last year

“Cameo (7/1, 5th) ran okay too. Wayne [Lordan] was happy enough but said she might have wanted a stronger pace.”

Thundering On is eased down after crossing the line in the Oaks

Betfred Oaks Analysis

What a great performance from THUNDERING ON. So much emphasis is put on stamina in the Epsom Classics as getting 1m4f around here is tough – and there’s no doubt Thundering On stays after this – but she did them for class.

She was simply too quick for her rivals. Ridden cold with the trip a question mark beforehand, the sight of Dylan Browne McMonagle sitting motionless as every other jockey was hard at work will live long in the memory.

It was a confident ride, with McMonagle dropping her out in last when the gates opened, but she settled so well in the rear, looking relaxed, and given she switched off so well she was able to use her pace when the race developed after Tattenham Corner.

As they swung into the straight Thundering On began to scythe through the field, at first following Amelia Earhart before cantering past her and latching onto the tail of Legacy Link.

In the final quarter mile it was obvious, a case of how far, and the question now will be how far can she go? Could she beat the colts? Might she be a Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe or Breeders’ Cup filly? Could she drop back to 10 furlongs?

The answer to the last question looks absolutely, she could be a real force in something like the Coral-Eclipse or Irish Champion Stakes, but Joseph O’Brien is a brilliant campaigner of his horses and international targets will surely be in his sights.

Legacy Link ran well in second, moving through to hit the front two furlongs out and she beat everything else convincingly bar the winner, finishing six lengths clear of the third.

The Gosdens have a filly to go to war with in the top fillies' contests and she could be aimed at something like the Yorkshire Oaks, given she has York form in her locker following her win in the Musidora.

Sugar Island, a 25/1 chance, was first home from the Aidan O’Brien clan in third, underlining the disappointment of favourite Amelia Earhart who finished a place behind another stablemate in Cameo in sixth.

They went sensible fractions here, a good gallop, but Amelia Earhart looks a strong stayer and she needed them to go quicker, perhaps the ground to be a bit softer, but she simply wasn’t good enough against a filly of the calibre of Thundering On.

We didn’t see the quirky side of her at Chester, but she might well be a bit of a thinker who needs everything to go her way to show her best.

The hood and blinkers combination is so unusual. It’s like sticking the cheapest corned beef you can find between two slices of artisan sourdough. Aidan himself says it’s a contradiction and perhaps it didn’t work second time up, for all that she settled fine and behaved herself both before the race and in the early stages.

She was certainly made to look slow by Thundering On. She won’t be the only one. The winner looks an Oaks heroine out of the very top drawer and it’s with hope this is just the beginning of her story. (Ben Linfoot)

Betfred Derby previews and tips

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org