Aidan O’Brien will be looking to make history again at York on Thursday (21 August). A win in the illustrious G1 Yorkshire Oaks (2381m) will put him level with the great Sir Michael Stoute and Mathew Dawson as the leading trainers in the contest’s rich history.
First run in 1849, the Yorkshire Oaks is a premier test for fillies and mares; it acts as a world-class form guide for the major autumn dates and is a gateway to the Arc.
In recent years, it has been dominated by O'Brien and jockey Ryan Moore – the Irish master has won four of the last five runnings, with Moore aboard three times – and their hopes this year lie with Minnie Hauk.
The three-year-old has compelling qualifications. In June, she won the Epsom Oaks (2405m) and, in July, the Irish Oaks (2400m). Now she bids for a Group 1 Oaks treble achieved by Alexandrova in 2006, Enable in 2017 and Snowfall in 2021.
O'Brien has an understandably high opinion of Minnie Hauk. "She's a lovely filly," he said. "She's got a big stride and cruises in the way only good horses do. She's physically well and mentally super. I couldn't be happier with her."
Considering her style of racing, O'Brien added, "She doesn't do a lot once she's in front; she tends to be pulling up. So you see the best of her when there's a strong tempo in the middle of a race."
O'Brien's view that, if all goes well, Minnie Hauk will be aimed at the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2400m) confirms his confidence.
With only four runners, the strong pace O'Brien would prefer for Minnie Hauk is not certain. Stablemate Garden Of Eden is likely to be given the task of ensuring that Minnie Hauk's chance is not compromised by too slow a pace.
Trainer David O'Meara will be hoping to cause an upset with Estrange. This year, the filly has improved to win Group 3 and Group 2 races over 2359m at Haydock. Her only defeat was when she ran disappointingly on fast ground at Yarmouth almost a year ago, and connections have expressed concerns on that front.
O'Meara explained, "She was brilliant last time at Haydock, especially as she was a bit keener than usual – she's usually very relaxed – and was in front a long time. We'd been hoping for a drop of rain so that it wouldn't be good to firm and, fortunately, it did rain. She's not absolutely reliant on heavy ground, but she doesn't really want to be running on very quick ground."
Qilin Queen, Minnie Hauk's other main rival, beat four opponents to narrowly win a Group 2 race in France last month, but needs to improve.
The G2 Lowther Stakes (1200m) features an interesting clash between two talented two-year-old fillies, Royal Fixation and America Queen. On her second appearance, Royal Fixation was narrowly beaten by the short-priced favourite in a Group 2 event, while America Queen was hugely impressive when running away with a maiden race on her only appearance so far.
Many racegoers will be hoping that, later in the day, Rainbows Edge gives the King and Queen a royal winner in the Listed Galtres Stakes (2381m), for which she is expected to start favourite.
