Was holds rivals at bay to claim Oaks

RACING/EPSOM OAKS:THERE MAY not have been too much imagination put into naming Was, but that name is secure in Epsom history after an exciting 20-1 success in yesterday's Investec Oaks.

The beautifully bred 1.2 million guineas purchase provided Aidan O’Brien with a 200th career Group 1 victory and gathered further momentum behind the possibility of the Irish trainer gaining a clean-sweep of this year’s British classics.

Ladbrokes now go just 4/6 about a Ballydoyle classic grand slam in Britain.

After dominating the Guineas at Newmarket last month, O’Brien goes into today’s Derby with the red-hot favourite Camelot but also the lively second-string Astrology.

The danger of concentrating too much on the Ballydoyle number one was illustrated again yesterday as Maybe could finish only fifth. Was, having just her third career start, kept on to get the better of Shirocco Star and The Fugue, unlucky in third.

Séamus Heffernan, twice a Derby runner-up on At First Sight and Fame And Glory, pulled off a daring run up the inside rail and Was responded well to pressure to hold on by a neck.

The win transpired to be a first British classic success for the Co Kildare born jockey but a fourth Oaks win for O’Brien who, in addition to Camelot, also holds big Group 1 chances this weekend with St Nicholas Abbey (Coronation Cup) and Imperial Monarch (French Derby).

Heffernan will be employed on St Nicholas Abbey’s pacemaker Robin Hood today, but he earned his place in the limelight yesterday with a typically opportunistic effort.

“I had plenty of horse under me, enough to take two lengths out of them when I asked for it. When you’ve plenty petrol, you can go where you like,” he said. “I’ve been very lucky in these colours (Derrick Smith) and thanks to the owner for trusting me.”

Heffernan rode Was on her first start of the year at Naas just 16 days previously when finishing only third in a Group 3. But she improved dramatically in the intervening period.

“These are all seriously well-bred fillies and she came on great from her last run,” said O’Brien, who was quick to praise his winning jockey. “Séamus is a world class jockey, always has been, and is a great fella. He knows these horses inside out and nobody deserves it more.”

The trainer’s son Joseph endured a rough passage on Maybe in the early stages when getting into a barging match with Godolphin hope Kailani at the back of the field.

“A mile-and-a-quarter might be as far as Maybe wants to go,” said O’Brien snr.

A funeral-like pace in the early stages – despite quick ground conditions that forced the withdrawal of another O’Brien hope, Kissed – resulted in considerable scrimmaging for position that meant The Fugue was hampered on several occasions.

Shirocco Star’s rider Darryll Holland said the way the race was run “it was a bit tactical. The winner had the rail and kept out-battling me towards the end.”

Johnny Murtagh, chasing back-to-back wins in the Oaks following his victory last year with Dancing Rain, was on Vow and looked to be in a good position throughout. But Willie Haggas’s filly couldn’t quicken and had to settle for fourth.

“They went very slow and I thought I had it at one stage, but I thought she’d quicken better than she did,” said Murtagh.