Five of the best: the special fillies to do the double at the Curragh

On Saturday Enable will attempt to become just the sixth filly in the last 20 years to do the English and Irish Oaks double. We take a look at the five in whose footsteps she hopes to follow . . .

Tempting fate: Moore celebrates winning the Epsom Oaks on Snow Fairy - but quips after the race “It’s not the Derby, is it?”Credit: Edward Whitaker

Snow Fairy(2010)

Ed Dunlop's wondermare Snow Fairy was the last horse to do the double, following up her neck success at Epsom with a devastating eight-length demolition of the Curragh field.

She was good at Epsom, coming from behind and weaving her way through runners, but she was mesmerising at the Curragh. She was a good ten lengths off the leaders and being niggled along by Ryan Moore entering the straight and did not hit the front until there was less than two furlongs to run, but once she got there she did not stop and served first notice of her wondrous ability.

She was not done there, adding a further five Group/Grade 1 wins to her CV in Japan, Hong Kong, France and Ireland – although she was subsequently disqualified from the Prix Jean Romanet after testing positive. She righted that wrong with a career-best effort on what was to be her final ever start, beating Nathaniel and St Nicholas Abbey by a length and a quarter and two lengths respectively in the 2012 Irish Champion Stakes.

Epsom Racing Post Rating: 116
Curragh RPR: 120
Career best RPR: 126 (Irish Champion Stakes 2012)

Jamie Spencer sees his rivals toiling as Sariska dominates at the CurraghCredit: Racingfotos.com

Sariska(2009)

Sariska was sent off the 9-4 favourite at Epsom and hit the front powerfully under Jamie Spencer before holding off the brilliant Midday in a thriller of a finish.

If that was good though, the best was yet to come at the Curragh as Sariska put up a display of breathtaking superiority rarely seen at Group 1 level. Such was her dominance, in fact, that an otherwise motionless Spencer famously moved an arm only to wave goodbye to Fran Berry aboard the long-time leader Roses For The Lady as she sauntered by.

This would become Sariska's defining moment, with only one more victory coming in her concluding six starts, the final two of which saw her refuse to race.

Epsom RPR: 122
Curragh RPR: 123
Career best RPR: 123 (Irish Oaks 2009)

Alexandrova(2006)

It would be inconceivable for a list of incredible equine achievements to not contain a horse trained by Aidan O'Brien and the premier trainer of his generation earned his way onto this particular list back in 2006 when Alexandrova did the double under Kieren Fallon.

The Fillies' Mile and Musidora runner-up turned up at Epsom as the 9-4 favourite and did not disappoint, scything through the field from behind and putting six lengths between herself and the field in the final two furlongs. She was an even warmer order at the Curragh, going off at 8-15, and was still last entering the straight. But as soon as Fallon switched her to the rail she took off and went from last to first in the blink of an eye – eventually winning by four lengths.

Alexandrova added a Yorkshire Oaks a month later, this time by three and a half lengths under minimal pressure from Mick Kinane. The Sadler's Wells filly possessed one of the most responsive accelerator peddles among middle distance fillies.

Epsom RPR: 118
Curragh RPR: 121
Career best RPR: 121 (Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks 2006)

Ouija Board(2004)

The 2004 Oaks at Epsom was perhaps a disappointing renewal overall, with only seven runners and the 1,000 Guineas runner-up Sundrop failing to fire, but history will remember only the brilliant winner – Ouija Board.

Having won that Classic by seven lengths, the daughter of Cape Cross went to the Curragh to complete the double, albeit in a less spectacular fashion.

Those wins were to prove the start of a marvellous global campaign that saw the Ed Dunlop-trained superstar bag a further five Group and Grade 1 races, including a pair of Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf wins and a Hong Kong Vase.

Ouija Board's impact has not been limited to the racetrack either, with her son Australia having completed an Epsom and Curragh Derby double of his own.

Epsom RPR: 124
Curragh RPR: 117
Career best RPR: 124 (Oaks 2004, Prince Of Wales's Stakes, Nassau Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes 2006)

Ramruma(1999)

Sir Henry Cecil was a master of handling fillies and his preparation of Ramruma exemplified his talents as a trainer, as she began the final year of the last decade a twice-raced maiden but finished it a triple Group 1-winner.

She arrived at Epsom via wins in a Newmarket maiden and the Lingfield Oaks trial and raced prominently in the race itself, taking things up from a long way out, but she kept kicking to win by three lengths. It was a trick she repeated at the Curragh, taking things up rounding the turn and galloping all the way to the line to win by an eased-down seven lengths.

She went and left York unbeaten at three, but not after an almighty tussle in the Yorkshire Oaks. It was a record she would not relinquish until the St Leger where she was beaten by Mutafaweq, but then she did not win again in three starts as a four-year-old.

Epsom RPR: 123
Curragh RPR: 118
Career best RPR: 123 (Oaks 1999)