Frankie Dettori rode a seventh Epsom Oaks winner this Friday on Soul Sister (11-4). The Frankel filly scored by a length and three-quarters from 5-6 favorite Savethelastdance.
Dettori's previous Oaks winners were Balanchine (1994), Moonshell (1995), Kazzia (2002), Enable (2017), Anapurna (2019) and Snowfall (2021). He has now ridden 23 English Classic winners.
John Gosden, who trains the winner along with his son Thady, was enjoying a fourth Oaks success after Taghrooda (2014), Enable (2017) and Anapurna (2019).
Winning owner-breeder Lady Bamford previously enjoyed Oaks success with Sariska (2009).
Frankie Dettori told ITV Racing: “That means a lot – seven Oaks winners. Lady Bamford is a big supporter of mine and in my last year that is my second Classic winner – unbelievable.
“I have ridden two great fillies this afternoon – Emily Upjohn and this one. I just want to soak it in now!
Soul Sister provided both Dettori and John & Thady Gosden with a 13-1 Ladies Day following the earlier success of Emily Upjohn in the DahlBury Coronation Cup.
FRANKIE DETTORI WINS HIS FINAL BETFRED OAKS!
Soul Sister with a stunning performance
#DerbyFestival @betfred pic.twitter.com/vVcNJtT19T
— Epsom Downs Racecourse (@EpsomRacecourse) June 2, 2023
Dettori added: “Obviously Emily (Upjohn) was incredible and then in the Oaks she's a good filly. It was a bit messy at the beginning and took us a bit of a while to get organised and I had to bite the bullet. I wanted to slot in behind Ryan (Moore, on Savethelastdance) but William (Buick, on Eternal Hope) was in there before me.
“I followed Buick and he dived very quickly around Tattenham Corner and so I had to take evasive actions and swing right. We got organised and sat quiet between the three and the one and a half furlong poles and then I was just hoping that if I pressed the button she would go – and she did go. She's shown so much class.
“If I stayed on one more year, I may get close to Lester (Piggott)'s 30 (Classic wins). I'm joking! It's incredible and I've had some fantastic rides. Emily and Soul Sister mean it's two in the bag and we've one to go with Arrest tomorrow. I'm very excited about tomorrow, John (Gosden)'s horses are on fire as you can see and hopefully it continues tomorrow. We can't change the weather and it is what it is. He'll either like it or he won't, but he's definitely good enough to make a good account of himself.
“It is mental, I'll be honest with you. I thought I had three good rides in the three Group One races, but to have two in the bag already with the Derby to go is crazy. I'm stuck for words, I'm sorry!
“I was able to enjoy the screaming of all of the crowd and I couldn't believe I'd won another Oaks! I was able to enjoy it and I loved it as I knew I'd won. Usually when you win the Oaks they give you an oak tree, the last one I got for Snowfall my dog decided to play with it and ripped it around the garden, so I could do with a new tree!
“When I passed them all I knew as I'd come from the back, so I knew there was nobody behind me. You don't get many opportunities to celebrate like that – maybe with Snowfall who was 20 lengths clear – but all the owners are here and all the gang so to go home and say I've done a 100% job is great.
“At the moment things are going well, but you can easily mess up in this game! Five months is a long time.”
John Gosden said: “She was about to get stacked three or four wide, so Frankie did the wise thing and took her back in and rode her with confidence, giving her every chance. I could see she was coming strongly but I didn't know if she'd stay the mile and a half, but she did, and she stayed it well, which she needed. This last half furlong up the hill will find them out, but she stuck her neck out and she's a classy filly,
“Her family are milers, but looking at her pedigree I saw Darshaan under the third dam, so I thought there was a chance she'd stay. I didn't know until the two marker what was going to happen, but it was a strongly run race and she's beaten two nice fillies, seeing it out well.”
“I think she's versatile enough to go a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half. It's great for her to win a Classic for the owners, who bred her at their own farm, and let me tell you, that's not an easy game. It's hard enough to get a mare in foal, let alone breed a horse like that.
“The Irish Oaks is a possibility at this stage, but it's a bit early to say.
“Newbury wasn't her fault. She hated the ground, and with that heavy ground in the spring I told Frankie that if she's not liking it look after her. He decided to just lob up there and not ask her anything. She had a lovely day out. It was a piece of work, but she wasn't favourite, which was good, and it benefited her enormously and it gave me something to build on.”
“Frankie is riding as well as he ever has. We had a cup of coffee before the race and it must have been a very strong cup of coffee, because he's riding like a demon.
“I was really happy when he decided to drop her in and save ground. You can't go three or four wide around here and expect to win, unless you are 25 lengths the best
“I was naturally concerned she wouldn't stay as she showed a lot of speed in the Musidora, but she's done it extremely well and showed a great attitude.
“She came out of the Musidora very well and the stud have been fantastic. I told Lady Bamford I wanted to run her here and she said 'are you sure' and I said 'yes please, can I' and the rest is history.
“The obvious race for her is the Irish Oaks, but I wouldn't be frightened of any race at a mile and a quarter as she's got the gears.
“It's been a huge day, with Emily Upjohn winning too, and they both have fabulous owners.
“It's my fourth Oaks, but we've had some bad luck in the race too. A few get knocked over, but it happens. It's lovely to win such a fabulous race and it's great of Fred (Done) to sponsor. It was a big move by him. He's a brilliant man.
“Running Lion has never done anything wrong before – she's a pussycat. She got her leg caught in the gate and cut it, so they had to take her out, and then she got loose. We'll get her right and then take her for the Prix de Diane in 16 days' time.”
PLACED CONNECTIONS
Aidan O'Brien, trainer of runner-up Savethelastdance, said: “She has run well but she obviously handles soft ground and stays very well. We were very happy with her really. She has a lot of options and we can do whatever. She is a big honest filly that stays very well and handles soft ground when it comes. She handles good ground but soft ground doesn't bother her.
“Ryan (Moore) was very happy and said she ran a good race. She stayed on very well. The winner was a bit quicker than her on the better ground but she ran well. She ran a great race but she was beaten by a very classy filly. Ryan said she was not finished going to the line and that she was still going strong. A furlong out she looked like she was going to be third but she stayed on well to be second. We will take her home and nothing is ruled in or out.”
Jack Channon, trainer of third-placed Caernarfon, said: “At the top of the hill she was travelling so well, but you could see that Frankie was travelling just as well. We picked up just as well as her [Soul Sister] up until about the furlong pole, and she probably hasn't quite got up the hill.
“She's a very good filly, we're blessed to have her in the yard, and it's just a massive thank you to everyone in the yard who has done such a great job. They produce all of my horses to run so well and I can't be more grateful for all the work they've done. And obviously to Steven and Lesley Smith and their team at Hunscote Stud for believing in me and trusting me to go for the Oaks; trust me, there was a lot of discussion about it. It's fantastic.”
WHAT THE BEATEN JOCKEYS SAID
Connor Beasley, rider of Caernarfon (3rd)
“A big run. I jumped well, but she's not the biggest and I just got bustled out of the position I needed, so I had to take the medicine and drop her away to the back.
“She travelled lovely into the race. Coming away down Tattenham Corner there she came underneath me really good and I thought, I've just got to try and pick a way through. She obviously hit the front and I don't think she's quite seen it out.
“But it was amazing, what she's just done there, and I think we've got a very nice filly to go to war with.
“I can't thank Jack and Mick Channon enough and the owners – they've stood by me with her.”
Kevin Stott, rider of Maman Joon (4th)
“It was a really good run on just her second start. She will be going places and we like her a lot. I was riding for luck more than anything and it turned out the way I wanted. “They just quickened up a bit quicker than I did but that is probably down to her inexperience but it was a good run. I think there is a nice prize in her.”
Clifford Lee, rider of Bright Diamond (5th)
“She jumped well and got a lovely position but I was always just a bit off it. I got beat fair and square by better horses. The ground was plenty quick enough but the further I was going, the better she was getting.”
Cristian Demuro, rider of Heartache Tonight (6th)
“I had a perfect race, it was just the ground. She loves heavy ground, and that makes the difference for her.”
William Buick, rider of Eternal Hope (7th)
“She had a nice posi but struggled on the track, as a lot of them do.”
Rob Hornby, rider of Sea Of Roses (8th)
“She was a bit out of her grade and she'd prefer slower ground on a more conventional track. We are still working her out, but she's solid.”
Wayne Lordan, rider of Red Riding Hood (9th)
He said: “She ran too keen. I tried to take my time a little bit with her stepping up in trip but it didn't work.”
Oisin Murphy, rider of Running Lion (withdrawn at start)
“She just kicked the back gates open.”
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