The Group I Epsom Oaks (1m4f) had a raging hot favourite in undefeated Godolphin entry Desert Flower, but she came up short in her first try at the classic trip going down to finish third behind the Aidan O’Brien trained duo Minnie Hauk (Frankel and Whirl (Wootton Bassett).
Lightly raced Minnie Hauk had just two starts last year breaking her maiden in the second of them at Leopardstown over a mile.
She stepped out for the first time this year to win the Listed Cheshire Oaks and took a giant leap forward to take the Oaks under Ryan Moore by a neck over her stablemate Whirl with four lengths back to Desert Flower.
“I'm delighted with Minnie Hauk. She's very classy and Ryan gave her a beautiful ride. He loved her the last day [at Chester] and then again today, so she's very exciting. She's obviously learning - she went to Chester and learnt a lot and was still green, and she was always improving from mid-race,” said Aidan O’Brien.
“What you love about her is that she's a great traveller; she has a lot of class. Ryan felt he was going very easily today on her and usually what that means is that she will be able to step up a couple of grades into even higher-class races. It's lovely for the lads and for everyone to have another filly like that.”
Minnie Hauk was purchased by MV Magnier for €1.85million at the Goffs Orby Sale from the Camas Park Stud draft and topped the sale.
Bred by Ben Sangster, she is a half-sister to Group II winner Tilsit from blue-blood Dansili mare Multilingual, a sibling to 2014 European Horse of the Year and champion sire Kingman and Group IIII winner Remote from Group I winner Zenda.
Minnie Hauk is the 37th Group I winner for Frankel and is the second G1 winner among eight stakes-winners by him from daughters of Dansili and the other G1 winner is Epsom Oaks winner Soul Sister.
The nick runs at 80% winner to runner and 35% SW to runner.
