Snowfall ran out a scintillating winner of the Cazoo Oaks for Aidan O'Brien and Frankie Dettori.
Always cantering, the Tattersalls Musidora winner swept past the long-time leader and eventual runner-up Mystery Angel two out and proceeded to storm clear of her toliling rivals.
The final furlong became a record-breaking one as she thundered to the line under a far from vigorous rider to win by a remarkable 16 lengths, the widest-margin in the race's history.
It provided O'Brien with a ninth winner of the Classic and he was responsible for the third home Divinely too. It was also a notable success for sire Deep Impact.
Sky Bet make the winner a 7/1 chance from 50s for the Arc, Betfair and Paddy Power are the same price from 33s.
16:30 Epsom Downs Full result and FREE video replay
1st 10 Snowfall 11/2
2nd 4 Mystery Angel 50/1
3rd 1 Divinely 20/1
Winning Trainer: Aidan O'Brien. Winning Jockey: Frankie Dettori
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A jubilant Dettori – who won the 1000 Guineas for O’Brien earlier in the season with Mother Earth – said: “That was unbelievable. Obviously she made the running in the Musidora. I wanted a better position, but they went off way too fast – everybody was fighting to get in the first three, so I let them get on with it.
“Four out I had everything beat. I looked in front and they were all gone. I took my goggles down and thought ‘don’t be clever’ and I just cut through the middle – it was like a hot knife through butter.
“I knew I was at least eight lengths in front. It was quite remarkable because I pulled up by the stables and everybody else pulled up by the winning post! I’ve won many Classics, but none as easy as this one.”
O'Brien said: “We thought she was very good last year, and put her in all the big races. David, who rides her every day, has been over the moon with her. Jamie, who’s in charge of her, Wayne, who rides her work, they’ve all been very happy with her.
“She was very impressive at York. She’s maybe just got a bit stronger over the winter, and the extra distance – she’s out of a full sister to Found as well. So it’s an unbelievable pedigree, by Deep Impact. We really thought she was a proper Group One filly last year, and kept disappointing. Little things happened to her in races, and stuff like that.
“But she won the Musidora very impressively. You’re never sure, but she has a lot of class – when ground turns like that, you can sometimes get extreme distances. But Frankie gave her a very good ride – and she looks a very special filly, doesn’t she?”
Of Santa Barbara, O’Brien said: “Ryan (Moore) said she cantered into the race and then in that ground, she just emptied out on him. She’ll probably go back to a mile and a quarter next. She has loads of class. We thought that she would handle that ground, but in that ground, staying the trip was the worry with the pace she has. She’s a big, powerful, strong filly.”
Timeform analysis:
An extraordinary performance, however you cut it – Snowfall won the Oaks coasting home by 16 lengths, the widest margin in Epsom classic history. The performance is tricky to put a number on and there's always a danger of going too high with scorers by big distances on soft ground, but it would be hard to argue against the idea that she has produced a performance that stands comparison with Love and Enable, the best winners of the Oaks in recent times. She had improved in winning the Musidora at York, but this was a huge advance. However, with a pedigree so laden with stamina on both sides, it perhaps is less surprising in hindsight that Snowfall could find that sort of improvement.
Soft ground was a curve ball, Epsom unexpectedly wet all day, and as a result the Oaks field came right over to the stand side in the straight, the winner cruising to the front in the final two furlongs and bagging the rail. Runner-up Mystery Angel – fourth behind the winner in the Musidora – did well, helping set a solid gallop and sticking to her task, those around her coming from the rear third of the field.
The favourite Santa Barbara was still green in the preliminaries and rather flattered to deceive, getting into contention very quickly from the rear before her effort flattened out, the third and fourth, Divinely and Save A Forest, who met some trouble, coming from similar positions, seeing the race out better. (David Cleary)
