Coolmore were expected to win the Group I Newmarket 1,000 Guineas overnight in the UK with Camelot filly Santa Barbara, but at the winning post it was another of the Ballydoyle entries that had her head in front and that was Mother Earth with Frankie Dettori in the saddle.
A busy juvenile last season that started eight times and was twice Group I placed, Mother Earth was having her first run in 2021.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien she finished full of running for Dettori to win by a length taking her overall record to two wins and six placings from nine starts.
The highly rated Santa Barbara was a gallant fourth at just her second start and will progress to the Oaks.
"She's a very good filly and always was," said O'Brien of the winner. "It was unfair to run Santa Barbara, but we had to come – with a view to coming back over for the Oaks she had to run.
"Ryan Moore [rider of Santa Barbara] said he'd have liked to have waited longer, but he saw Frankie coming down his outside and he had to come then, and she was just green in the Dip. But after
having had just one easy win, it was a great run.
"Frankie's filly is very consistent. She had a great run in America last time out last year. She was very professional. She relaxed, quickened and did everything very well. It was great to have Frankie there – he's an unbelievable rider."
Purchased for 150,000 euros from the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, Mother Earth runs for the Coolmore partners and is a half-sister to Group II winner Night of Colours. She is the best of four winners from stakes-winning Green Desert mare Many Colours.
Mother Earth is the fourth Group I winner for the late Coolmore sire Zoffany, who died prematurely last year at age 13. He shuttled to Australia for four seasons at the starts of his stud career.
