Minnie Hauk completed an Oaks grand slam in front of The Queen and will be given the chance to confirm she is racing royalty this autumn.
It was expected that Minnie Hauk would win the Yorkshire equivalent of the races she had landed at Chester, Epsom and The Curragh but it was the manner in which the 8/15 favourite stretched away from Estrange, a high-class older rival, indicated that she still has massive improvement to make.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien has ‘only’ won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe twice but Minnie Hauk – who would need to be supplemented by her owners, Coolmore, at a cost of £120,000 – could be given the green light to contest the showpiece in Paris on October 4.
The Queen was so enamoured with Minnie Hauk’s performance at York that she had her picture taken with the filly in the winners’ enclosure and O’Brien, who was equalling Sir Michael Stoute’s record of nine victories in the Yorkshire Oaks, was glowing about her capabilities.
‘She’s beautiful and she does everything right,’ said O’Brien. ‘She cruises and she’s a lovely mover, and obviously the Arc and the Breeders’ Cup Turf are there for her. A lot of people have done a lot to look after her, so I appreciate everyone’s hard work and I’m delighted.
‘Ryan (Moore, jockey) gave her a class ride and he was very cool on her. She’s classy and it was a very confident ride. It wasn’t going to be a Mickey Mouse race – they were going to go an even gallop without going crazy.’
Minnie Hauk could have a shot at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after a stunning Oaks run
Queen Camilla was so taken with the Aidan O’Brien filly that she asked to take a picture with her in the winners’ enclosure
Moore was winning the Yorkshire Oaks for a fifth time and his judgement should always be noted.
She’s very high class and her record indicates how classy she is,’ said Moore. ‘It was fairly straightforward and she travelled into it very well. She doesn’t do a whole lot at the front, but when you ask her she finds.’
