Can Savethelastdance make it 5-5 for Aidan O'Brien's Irish Oaks winners? Key quotes for the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks

Aidan O’Brien has a perfect 4-4 record with Irish Oaks winners in the Yorkshire Oaks and Savethelastdance is the latest Curragh queen to test her mettle on the Knavesmire.

Alexandrova kicked off O’Brien’s golden touch with Classic scorers in this top-level event in 2006, with Peeping Fawn following up – via a Nassau victory at Glorious Goodwood – the following year.

Seventh Heaven continued the trend in 2016 when beating stablemate and subsequent Arc winner Found, and Snowfall was the most recent filly to maintain the 100 per cent strike-rate in 2021.

Two of the four fillies completed the Curragh-York double after defeat at Epsom and Savethelastdance is similar in having finished second to Soul Sister in the Oaks before beating Bluestocking in the Irish Classic. 

She improved her Racing Post Rating by only 2lb from Epsom to the Curragh and it was far from the smoothest of wins, hitting a flat spot around three furlongs out before rallying well in a stout-staying performance. 

Her Irish Oaks success was on soft ground, so this will be a different test on a significantly quicker surface for Ryan Moore’s mount. 

Aidan O'Brien: runs Savethelastdance and Warm HeartCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Four of her five runs have been on soft or heavy ground, including when recording her peak RPR in a 22-length win in the Cheshire Oaks, but her Epsom second came on good to firm.

O’Brien, who has won the race six times, said: "Everything has gone well with Savethelastdance. She's a grand, big, genuine mare and we think the track will suit her, and she won't mind if any rain arrives." 

A sound surface will definitely suit Savethelastdance’s stablemate Warm Heart, who won the Ribblesdale on good to firm. 

She finished fifth in the Irish Oaks last time but is 2-2 on good ground or quicker, beating Bluestocking in a Listed race at Newbury in May and having that rival behind again at Royal Ascot. She is the mount of James Doyle, who completed the Curragh-York double on Sea Of Class in 2018.

O’Brien said: “Warm Heart got caught back a bit far in the Irish Oaks and a slowly run race probably wasn't to her advantage. She's been in good form since."

Juddmonte hopeful more to come from Bluestocking

Bluestocking has the least experience in this ten-runner field and the potential for plenty of improvement after a career-best second in the Irish Oaks.

Rossa Ryan takes over from Colin Keane on the Ralph Beckett-trained filly, who has half a length to find with Savethelastdance on their most recent start.

The Juddmonte silks have been carried to victory four times in this race, most recently with Enable in 2017 and 2019.

Bluestocking (left): has form with Warm Heart (right) and SavethelastdanceCredit: Edward Whitaker

Barry Mahon, racing manager to Juddmonte, said: "She ran a great race at the Curragh and she handled quicker ground fine at Ascot.

“We’re hopeful of another good run. It’s a big task – Savethelastdance is clearly a good filly and Warm Heart will be a different proposition on fast ground – but we’d like to think there’s more improvement in our filly.”

Al Husn 'in great form' for York test

Nine of the last ten winners had Group 1 success on their CV and Shadwell’s Al Husn fits that bill after her Nassau victory at Glorious Goodwood.

The Roger Varian-trained four-year-old beat top-level winners Above The Curve, Nashwa and Blue Rose Cen in the 1m2f event and steps up to a mile and a half for the first time in this £500,000 contest.

She is partnered by David Egan, who won a fillies’ handicap on her on Sun Chariot day at Newmarket in October, as regular rider Jim Crowley is suspended due to overuse of the whip on Hukum in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Al Husn: won the Nassau Stakes last timeCredit: Edward Whitaker

Varian said: “She's in great form within herself. It's her first time beyond a mile and a quarter, but she does shape as if she will get the extra distance and I'm glad we'll be doing it on good ground.

“It's a good-sized field and looks an open race. We’re quite excited to run her off the back of a Nassau win and these are the days you look forward to.”

What they say

Thady Gosden, joint-trainer of Free Wind
She won at York first time out this year over a mile and a quarter on similar ground, so she has plenty going for her. Things didn't go to plan at Goodwood last time when the race was run in a rainstorm, but she has come out of that well and should be competitive against some of the best three-year-old fillies in Europe.

Hughie Morrison, trainer of Stay Alert
Ronan Whelan felt she’d be fine over this distance at this level after her last run and the only negative is she travelled to France at the weekend, where we pulled her out due to the rain. If she runs to the level she did in Ireland, she’s no 14-1 shot.

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