Soul Sister (11-4) swooped to victory to provide Frankie Dettori with a fairytale success on his final ride in the Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday afternoon.
The popular Italian jockey, who will retire from riding at the end of the season, landed a seventh victory in the Fillies' Classic as the John and Thady Gosden-trained three-year-old ran out a superb winner at Epsom. Settled in rear under Dettori off the pace set by outsider Sea Of Roses, Soul Sister – who had won the Musidora Stakes at York last month – made a menacing move after the turn round Tattenham Corner. Under Ryan Moore, the Aidan O’Brien-trained 5-6 favourite Savethelastdance – who had won the Listed Weathersby Digital Solutions Cheshire Oaks at last month’s Chester May Festival by an astonishing 22 lengths in soft conditions – also made her move on the inside alongside 40-1 outsider Caernarfon). But Soul Sister was travelling best of the three who drew well clear of the rest of the field on the run to the line. Soul Sister powered down the outside to score by a length-and-three-quarters from Savethelastdance with the Jack Channon-trained Caernarfon – running a mighty race at bid odds – to be a head back in third.
Having won the Group One Coronation Cup on last year's narrow Oaks runner-up Emily Upjohn for the Gosdens earlier in the day at Epsom, Dettori was back in the winner's enclosure performing his famous flying dismount after his magnificent seventh success in the Classic. Dettori first won the Oaks with Balanchine when he was riding for the Godolphin operation in 1994 and also scored with Moonshell the following year. The now 52-year-old landed other successes with Kazzia (2002), on the mighty Enable (2017) and Anapurna (2019) for John Gosden and also aboard the O'Brien-trained Snowfall (2021). And as he has done so many times, he timed his winning run to perfection.
A delighted Dettori, who partners the Gosdens' Chester Vase hero Arrest in Saturday's Betfred Derby, said: "It means a lot, seven Oaks. The Bamfords have been great supporters of mine, it's my last year and it's my second Classic. Unbelievable. They're two great fillies, Emily (Upjohn, who won the Coronation Cup earlier) and this one, I just want to soak it in now. It was a bit messy at the beginning, I didn't want to go too wide, and then William (Buick on Eternal Hope) stopped very quickly but I kept her balanced and she did the rest."
Soul Sister's stable-mate Running Lion has very different fortunes for the winning yard as she did not start after breaking out of the stalls and leaving jockey Oisin Murphy stranded. But on the winner, John Gosden said: "She was slightly slowly away so Frankie did the wise thing and took her back and gave her confidence. I could see she was coming strong, but I didn't know if she stayed a mile and a half – she stayed it well. You need to here because that last half-furlong is uphill. She's a classy filly.
"When I was looking at her pedigree I like to see Darshaan under the third dam so that meant there was a chance she'd stay. It was a strongly-run race and she's beaten a couple of nice fillies. I just didn't know until the final two furlongs if she'd get home. She's versatile over 10 and 12 furlongs, but it's great for her to win a Classic for the owner/breeders. They bred her on their own farm and let me tell you, that is not an easy game – especially to go and win a race like this. Frankie is riding very well, we had a cup of coffee beforehand and it must have been very strong because he's riding like a demon! The Irish Oaks is possible for the winner, it's a bit early to say but that would definitely be a possibility, anything over 10-12 (furlongs) will be fine. Newbury (well beaten in Greenham Stakes on seasonal reappearance) wasn't her fault, it was heavy ground, Frankie lobbed up and didn't ask her anything and it was like a piece of work because he knew she wasn't enjoying it."
Of the unfortunate Running Lion, he added: "She was just getting ready to go and caught her leg so they had to take her out but then she got loose. She's absolutely fine and we'll get her ready again and go to the Prix Diane in 16 days."
O'Brien, who will bid for Derby glory chiefly with Auguste Rodin back at Epsom on Saturday, was pleased with Savethelastdance despite the defeat. He said: "I wouldn't put it down to anything, she ran a great race and was beaten by a very good filly. We were very happy with her run, she has a lot of options, she can do whatever. We can take her home and do whatever, she's a big, honest filly who stays very well and handles soft ground when it comes. She obviously handles good ground as well, but on soft ground it doesn't bother her."
Emily Upjohn (11-4) swooped around Tattenham Corner to land a superb victory under Frankie Dettori to win the Dahlbury Coronation Cup. Having been narrowly beaten a short head by Tuesday over course and distance in last year's Oaks, the John and Thady Gosden-trained filly gained compensation and landed another Group One victory. She was also giving her partner a sixth and final victory in the contest in his retirement year. Emily Upjohn, who won the Group One QIPCO British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes at Ascot on her final start last October, returned to action in style to become the first filly since In The Groove in 1991 to land the Coronation Cup. Dettori had Emily Upjohn settled in rear off the pace set by Point Lonsdale and Hurricane Lane. But when the daughter of Sea The Stars made her move she smoothly went past both and put daylight between herself and the field, eventually scoring by a length-and-three-quarters from last year's Irish Derby hero Westover, who was sent off the 5-2 favourite. Aidan O'Brien's was a further seven-and-half-lengths back in third.
But it was all about Emily Upjohn and connections are now dreaming of more success with the likes Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown – dropping back to 1m2f – next month and later on, the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp in the autumn on the agenda. Coral cut Emily Upjohn to 5-1 from 8-1 for the Eclipse and 7-1 from 10-1 for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
John Gosden said: "She did it beautifully. We had planned Dubai (Sheema Classic), but she didn't come to herself in the spring, so we waited. She's only just come ready to run, actually, only just now. She probably hit the front too soon and she's having a really good blow so she should come on for that. She ended up in front because of the way she quickened, she's a hugely talented filly.
"The Oaks went wrong last year, but that's history. She showed that speed early last year and then again in the autumn on soft ground, this is quickening all the time, it's genuine good to firm and she's shown a lot of talent over a mile and a half. It's nice to bring her back here and win, and Westover had a rough trip here last year in the Derby but take nothing from either winner of the Oaks or the Derby, they were very good. She's in the Hardwicke at Ascot or you could have a look at a race like the Eclipse. It's one or the other and we'll have a think. She'd have no trouble coming back to 10 furlongs at Sandown, so I slightly favour the Eclipse at this stage, 10 furlongs, uphill finish."
Dettori – who had previously won the Coronation Cup with Swain (1996), Singspiel (1997), Daylami (1999), Mutafaweq (2001) and Cracksman (2018) – will retire at the end of the season. And on his latest win in the Group One contest, he said: "She's a big girl so I got her ready at the top of the hill and gosh did she quicken, wow. The change of pace she showed and she kept going right to the line. Myself and Rob (Hornby, on Westover) pulled a long way clear of the third. She feels better this year, she feels stronger, but more importantly she's better in her mind. She was fighting stuff last year, but she's ready to relax a bit this year. She's better in the mornings now but we just let her be, if she wants to have a look she can have a look! He added: "I must say when I was in the stalls I was thinking 'please don't slip today' after what happened in the Oaks and then everything went wrong in the King George, she didn't breathe. We kept the hood on her today after a long discussion and she relaxed beautifully."
Bobsleigh (5-1) flew down to outside to land the opener on Oaks day at Epsom, the British EBF 40th Anniversary Woodcote Stakes. Eve Johnson Houghton's two-year-old, who had won his maiden at Brighton, was sent off a well-backed 5-1 chance. And under jockey Charlie Bishop, he was closer to last than first on the turn round Tattenham Corner in the six-furlong sprint. But Bishop was always confident in the saddle and Bobsleigh was brought to challenge around the outside. He battled well to collar Ballon d'Or (4-1) – trained by Hugo Palmer at former Liverpool FC striker Michael Owen's Manor House Stables – to score by three-quarters of a length. The Richard Hannon-trained 9-4 favourite Haatem, who missed the break and was always playing catch-up, stayed on well to finish third a further length-and-a-half adrift.
Royal Ascot could now on the agenda for the winner. Trainer Johnson Houghton said: "I think we've got a Royal Ascot two-year-old on our hands, he's pretty exciting and it went exactly as we planned. e thought they'd go really fast, so I said to Charlie to get him balanced and wait until he comes to you. I knew he had a good turn of foot, but it was whether he could make up that much ground – I thought he was pretty impressive. I don't know which race at Ascot. He's got plenty of boot so we could drop back to five and the Coventry over six is obviously going to be the hottest race.
"This syndicate is great, it's a fantastic day out for them. Anthony Bromley and I did a pretty good job picking him up for not much money (E17,000) and they are having the time of their lives. Hopefully we can have a good season as they usually sell them at the end of their first year. He was small when we bought him, but he thrived since he's been gelded. The name comes from the dam, Lady Rosebud. Rosebud was a sledger."
Winning jockey Bishop added: "Eve does a fantastic job of buying these horses for the syndicate. The team were very bullish, I've barely sat on him apart from riding him at Brighton so a lot of credit goes to everyone at home and the trainer – she doesn't do a bad job, does she?
"The Windsor Castle is back at five and it is probably a more winnable race than the Coventry Stakes. We will see how he comes out of this and if he improves again and we think it is worth a go at the Coventry then maybe we might go for that, but I would say the Windsor Castle might be more up his street. Obviously these connections have had luck in the Windsor Castle before with Chipotle. It would be great to get him to Royal Ascot in one piece and whatever race she decides to run him in I'm sure she won't be wrong."
Hannon, trainer of third home Haatem, added: “He was the moral winner and I’ll look to take him now to the Coventry or the Superlative, maybe both. He just reared up when the gates opened, but that’s two-year-olds for you. He was full of running all the way through the race and made up a lot of ground. Still, getting beat because you’re not good enough would have been a lot worse.”
Austrian Theory (7-1) landed an all-the-way success to bring up a one-two for trainer Charlie Johnston in the Racehorse Lotto Handicap. Under Joe Fanning the four-year-old, who had finished third having similarly made the running at Chester's May Festival last month, this time held on well to beat stable-mate Dutch Decoy (7-1) by half-a-length with George Boughey's All The King's Men (11-2) a further neck in third.
Johnston said: “Four winners would have been the perfect day for us but to do that we’d have needed a dead heat in one race, so that was a fantastic result. This is a horse who we’ve always thought a lot of, he was a very talented two year old and he won the Almada Mile at Hamilton last year in the style of a really good horse. It was that moment where I thought he’d go on and be a real Golden Mile type of horse at Goodwood, but he can just be a bit in and out. Chester at the weekend was a sign that he’s just coming back to the boil and Joe (Fanning) was sublime at the front end. He controlled the race and I would have sworn at two down that Dutch Decoy had him covered, but Joe had a bit more up his sleeve.
“The one thing we do feel is that straight track big handicaps don’t really suit him. He’s run in a Cambridgeshire and Ascot races and what have you and I think because he likes to be on the front end and try and save a bit and that’s harder to do on straight course races. The plan didn’t come off last year, but I think we’ll be working back from the Golden Mile once again. It was a fantastic result for me personally but I feel a bit sorry for Dutch Decoy, because he’s been banging his head against a brick wall all spring. He ran a great race in a really tough handicap at the Guineas meeting and as I just said to his owners (The Owners Group), his turn is coming.”
Winning rider Fanning added: "He jumped and travelled good and two out I was still going quite well. Although it looked as if our other horse (runner-up Dutch Decoy) might go by me, I had a little bit left, so it worked out. He’s been disappointing, because we thought quite a bit of him as a two-year-old, then he went off the boil a little bit. When he won at Hamilton last year we thought he was back, but then he started disappointing again. But his last run at Chester last week was quite promising, so we were quite hopeful.”
Boughey, trainer of third-placed All The King’s Men, said: “It was another solid effort and he really is a model of consistency. He stayed the extended mile well but I’m not totally sure he loved the track. Once they levelled off in the final furlong he stayed on strongly. William (Buick) said he was generous enough in the first time blinkers though they might have cost him a little bit late on. He is a horse that is progressive. The plan has always been to run him in the Buckingham Palace at Royal Ascot as I think a strongly run seven furlongs with a stiff finish will suit him but I think he might just fall short of getting in. However, he will be entered in it and we might try and find somewhere to run him before that to try to ensure he gets in as it has been the target since he came over from France.”
Boughey did have a winner with Cadillac (12-1) sweeping through to win the Betfred Handicap, under Kevin Stott. He came down the outside and eventually scored by a length-and-three-quarters from 10-3 favourite Majestic, with The City's Phantom (50-1) a neck further back in third.
Boughey said: "I thought we were a little bit too far back but I’d said to Kevin he should ride him for luck, as we weren’t particularly well drawn. Fast ground is key to him and I didn’t want to run him on Guineas weekend. When he came to me he used to wear blinkers (had cheekpieces for the first time here), but he’s a very honest horse. I think left-handed is quite key to him too, and Sam Haggas, who I work closely with, was a big advocate for that. It’s a huge thrill and I’m delighted for Sheikh Abdullah, who is a big supporter of the yard. He’s beautifully bred and came to us from Jessica (Harrington) and then Kevin (Philppart de Foy) and it’s lovely to be the recipient of him now. He’s a fun horse, and the Wolferton has always been the plan, although that’s right-handed."
Winning rider Stott added: “It was a brilliant run. He settled really nicely and picked up really well. He didn’t like the ground the last day (at Newmarket) so that was much more like it.”
Jack Channon, trainer of the runner-up Majestic, said: “That was a cracking run – our horse and Richard Spencer’s were having a proper ding-dong up the straight, and something came along with a wet sail and beat us both. I’m not going to blame the ground, it is what it is, but he [Majestic] would prefer it with a bit more good in it. There are lots of big summer handicaps coming up and he might struggle to get in them with a mark of 98, but there’s lots of things to aim him at. I’m delighted with the way he ran.”
Richard Spencer, trainer of third-placed The City’s Phantom, added: “He loved that ground. I don’t know what he will do next exactly, but it will be on ground like this.”
