Cazoo Oaks (Group 1)

THE Group 1 Cazoo Oaks provided the finish of the day, as Tuesday (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) just edged out favourite Emily Upjohn (John and Thady Gosden/Frankie Dettori) in a clash of the stables which have dominated this race in the past decade.

The 13/2 third choice in the betting, Tuesday gained a short-head victory in a bobbing finish, with the Gosdens’ second-string Nashwa (Hollie Doyle) just over three lengths behind the principals in third.

Tuesday was able to overcome the coffin draw, aided by the fact that the runners fanned out in the straight, affording ample room, and although she only had two behind her as the field swung for home, she was able to make ground easily on the far side of the group, and hit the front at the two-furlong pole, looking poised to win.

Emily Upjohn, meanwhile, had made a very awkward start, and was one of the pair behind Tuesday on the home turn, but Frankie Dettori didn’t panic, allowing her time to get balanced in the straight before asking for everything a furlong from home.

Racing on the wide outside, she picked up in the style of a top-class filly and poked her nose in front two strides from the line, only for Tuesday to gain the verdict as she put her nose down at just the right time.

Heartbreaking

It was a thrilling win for the Galileo filly who had been placed in both the English and Irish 1000 Guineas, but a heartbreaking reverse for connections of Emily Upjohn, who looked out of the top drawer when taking the Musidora Stakes, and who was in front a stride before and a stride after the line, but guttingly, just behind in the moment that matters most.

This represented a record 41st classic win in England for Aidan O’Brien, and a 10th in the Oaks, although he still trails Robert Robson, who trained 13 Oaks winners in the first quarter of the 19th century. It was a fourth win in the Oaks for Moore, who first landed this prize aboard Snow Fairy for Ed Dunlop a dozen years ago.

Speaking to ITV Racing, Moore said: “I always felt I was going to win - she’s just still a bit babyish and came out of the stalls awkwardly. She put herself into the race, she was just a bit idle and changed her leads late on, I just had to get her balanced.

“She’s got an awful lot of class, it’s amazing how the family keep producing. I always thought she was going to be a classic filly this year, it just hadn’t quite happened but it’s great that she’s gone and done it today.”

Regarding trainer Aidan O’Brien’s record-breaking 41st classic success, Moore added: “He’s incredible. We always use these terms like ‘genius’ but he goes into so much detail. What he’s done, we’ve never seen the like of it and probably won’t again.”