Aidan O’Brien’s classic dominance came to an abrupt halt at Epsom on Friday when Enable proved too good for the Irish trainer’s pair Rhododendron and Alluringly in a spectacular Investec Oaks.
Considering the melodramatic circumstances it was run in, perhaps it was no surprise Ballydoyle's run of classic success in 2017 was ended by Frankie Dettori.
The Italian showman guided the 6-1 winner to a resounding defeat of the 8-11 favourite Rhododendron in spectacular thunder and lightning that produced driving rain through the race and tested courage as well as quality.
Rhododendron briefly looked to have Enable's measure two furlongs out but Dettori powered the stamina-laden winner home to win by five lengths for trainer John Gosden.
“The lightening beforehand was terrifying enough,” said the trainer who will saddle five in Saturday’s Derby, including Dettori’s mount, Cracksman. “It was a proper test in exceptionally tough conditions and they were brave to go through that.”
Having won the Coronation Cup earlier on the card with Highland Reed, confidence was high O’Brien could add to his ‘Double-Double’ in the Irish and English Guineas races but Rhododendron ultimately came up short.
It was a fourth Oaks success for Dettori – 23 years after the first – and once again he basked in the classic limelight.
Really good
“When I saw Ryan [Moore] not moving I thought I was in trouble,” Dettori said. “But my filly stayed well and she’s really good. She’s still a frame really and I think she’ll get better and better.”
At age 46 Dettori’s taste for big-race success remains undimmed and Gosden described him as “pound for pound the best I’ve ever put on a horse”.
The Ballydoyle team secured Group One encouragement for their own Derby chances after Highland Reel overcame different drama to make all under Moore.
The plane bringing O’Brien’s horses to Epsom was delayed which meant they arrived at the track a little over an hour before the Coronation Cup. During refuelling the plane’s fuel cap was missing and fuel had spilled out over the wing.
Ultimately it mattered little to the battle-hardened Breeders Cup hero however who beat off one Godolphin rival in Hawkbill before holding off another in Frontiersman.
It was a record eighth Coronation Cup for O’Brien who said: “He’s an amazing horse. Tactically he has speed and he stays. He could run in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot if he needs it and maybe then on to the King George.”
