Lady Rothschild's Great Heavens (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) was supplemented for yesterday's G1 Darley Irish Oaks after showing how much she relished testing ground when scoring with authority in the G2 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock July 7. Repaying that risk in spades with an impressive victory for the in-form John Gosden stable, the homebred full-sister to Nathaniel (Ire) went a long way towards compensating for her stable companion's gallant and narrow second in Saturday's King George as a result. Settled in third throughout the early stages, the 5-4 pick was tapped for acceleration at the top of the straight and then needed racing room, but when it came she picked up in style under William Buick to cut down Shirocco Star (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) with 100 yards remaining and win by three lengths. "She showed a lot of class and courage," Gosden said. "I think what she did in the last furlong says a lot about her ability."

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
DARLEY IRISH OAKS-G1, €400,000, Curragh, 7-22, 3yo, f, 1 1/2mT, 2:42.92, sf.
1--GREAT HEAVENS (GB), 126, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
             1st Dam: Magnificient Style (GSW-Eng), by Silver Hawk
             2nd Dam: Mia Karina, by Icecapade
             3rd Dam: Basin, by Tom Rolfe
O-Lady Rothschild; B-Kincorth Investments Inc; T-John Gosden; J-William Buick; €232,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, €318,920. *1/2 to Styleistick (Storm Cat), MSW & GSP-US, $234,788; Echoes in Eternity (Ire) (Spinning World), MGSW-Eng, $241,555; Petara Bay (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), GSP-Eng, $174,416; 3/4 to Playful Act (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), Co-Hwt. 2yo Filly-Eng, G1SW-Eng & G1SP-Ire, $485,838; Changing Skies (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), GSW & GISP-US, $438,993; Full to Nathaniel (Ire), Hwt. 3yo Colt-Eng at 9.5-11f & 11-14f, MG1SW-Eng, $1,929,883. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2--Shirocco Star (GB), 126, f, 3, Shirocco (Ger)--Spectral Star (GB), by Unfuwain. (48,000gns RNA yrl '10 TATOCT). O-Helena Springfield Ltd; B-Meon Valley Stud; T-Hugh Morrison; €80,000.
3--Princess Highway, 126, f, 3, Street Cry (Ire)--Irresistible Jewel (Ire), by Danehill. O/B-Moyglare Stud Farm; T-Dermot Weld; €40,000.
Margins: 3, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 5-4, 7-1, 9-4.
Also Ran: Was (Ire), Devotion (Ire), Colliding Worlds (Ire), Twirl (Ire).
Click for the Racing Post chart, the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, courtesy attheraces.com.
   In hindsight, Great Heavens was a stone-cold certainty receiving her 13-pound weight-for-age allowance from the older fillies and mares in the Lancashire Oaks, having scored in an 11-furlong maiden at Yarmouth May 10 and Newbury's Listed Lord Weinstock Memorial S. over a mile and a quarter June 14. At Haydock, the further the homebred went, the stronger she looked as she put the proven Pattern-race performers Shimmering Surf (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and Set To Music (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) to the sword and, with further improvement evident on the home gallops, connections were forced to pay the fee and take their chance here. Taking an ideal early tow from Twirl (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who set the pace for Was (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Great Heavens was pushed along after the home turn behind the Epsom Oaks winner as Shirocco Star was unleashed on the font end by Johnny Murtagh. Given one backhander approaching the quarter pole, her stamina began to kick in, but she had to allow Princess Highway (Street Cry) past on her outer. As Shirocco Star veered right towards the rail and hampered the one-paced Was with a furlong remaining, the Gosden trainee produced an irresistible surge when in the clear down the outside to swamp her fellow British raider. The stewards looked at the interference caused by the runner-up to the eventual fourth Was, but let the result stand. Connections of the winner are looking at the G1 Yorkshire Oaks at York Aug. 23 and the G1 Leger at Doncaster Sept. 15.