Great Heavens: finishes well clear of her rivals at Haydock on Saturday
PICTURE: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)Great Heavens destroys Lancashire Oaks field
Report: Haydock, Saturday
bet365 Lancashire Oaks (Group 2) 1m3f200y, 3yo+, fillies and mares
THE rapidly improving Great Heavens produced a performance of the highest order when she routed her rivals from the front at Haydock on Saturday.
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The impressive winner was providing in-form trainer John Gosden with his second successive victory in the race which he won with Gertrude Bell last year.
Great Heavens, who is a full sister to King George hero Nathaniel, made all of the running under a confident Rab Havlin and she put clear daylight between herself and her toiling rivals as she approached the furlong marker.
The 11-4 favourite, who was completing a hat-trick after scoring at Listed level last time out, galloped on stoutly to score by five lengths.
Shimmering Surf stayed on well to take second while Set To Music could manage only third.
Havlin said: "She was getting 13lb from the older horses so I thought I would make it a good gallop. She kept finding and the family improve with age so there's more to come."
The winner disputed the lead with the Roger Varian-trained Shimmering Surf from the start and the pair were still in front with two furlongs to run.
The Queen's Set To Music (3-1) was settled in rear for Jamie Spencer for most of the contest but she failed to pick up when she was asked for her effort.
To her credit, Shimmering Surf (7-1) tried to match strides with Great Heavens as the pair quickened up but the winner had far too much class and she stormed clear to score in taking style.
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