Saqqara Sands (right) dead-heating with Tabiti

HKJC World Pool Oak Tree Stakes: Ralph Beckett pair dead-heat

By David Ord

Horse Racing

Wed July 30, 2025 · 5M ago

There was a dramatic finish to the HKJC World Pool Oak Tree Stakes with stablemates Saqqara Sands (16/1) and Tabiti (9/2) dead-heating.

It was a race for the Ralph Beckett team to savour with the latter, under a positive Ryan Moore ride, in front entering the final furlong.

However, Rossa Ryan was playing his filly late and she finished off to great effect, many in the stands believing she had snatched it in the dying strides.

The photographic evidence was to show that she'd only joined level at the crucial stage, meaning she followed Tabiti into the winners' enclosure instead. The 7/2 favourite Bright Thunder was half-a-length away in third.

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Becket told ITV Racing: "I’ve definitely not had a dead-heat with two of my horses before! They are two really tough fillies.

“This race can be something of a bun fight – a horse was taken down last year – but we got our tactics right for once. It's brilliant. I wasn’t overjoyed with Tabiti’s run in the Fillies’ Mile last year, but the blinkers have made the difference. Saqqara Sands is just very tough."

Rossa Ryan said of Saqqara Sands: “I just couldn’t quite get far enough in front of the other horse in the blinkers to make her know she was in front. It’s vital for her pedigree and for her breeder, John Deer – it's great."

Karl Burke said of Bright Thunder: “I am as happy with that as you can be without winning. She has run a great race and looked like bolting up two out, but Ryan [Moore] got a freebie in front. If they’d gone real hard or she'd had a better draw, I think she would have been bang there. She is a progressive filly, but she likes a bit of cut in the ground, so August might be tricky, but hopefully we’ll find a nice race for her in the autumn.”

HKJC World Pool Oak Tree Stakes: Ralph Beckett pair dead-heat

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