Frankel's Anapurna Wins The Oaks

Overshadowed by stablemate and 11-4 favourite Mehdaayih (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the lead-up to Friday's G1 Investec Oaks, the Meon Valley Stud homebred Anapurna (GB) was ultimately the one with the sire's bragging rights as she provided the Juddmonte giant with a first British Classic. Sent off at 8-1 with Frankie Dettori resuming the partnership having steered her to an impressive success in the May 11 Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial, the bay enjoyed a perfect stalking trip against the rail in third from her unfavourable low draw. With the early pace proving far from taxing, she was ideally placed but needed luck as Ballydoyle's Pink Dogwood (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) cut loose out wide under Ryan Moore approaching two out. Getting the split on the inner soon after, she had a length to make up on that rival but the famous Frankel momentum began to build and she was marginally ahead 100 yards from the line. Frankie put his stick down there with the contest decided and she was a cosy neck margin to the good at the line as Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) stayed on strongly to make it two Ballydoyle runners in the frame, 1 1/4 lengths further behind. Mehdaayih was only seventh after a troubled passage which included a hefty bump approaching the final furlong. “She had a dream trip on the inside where usually they get boxed in, but Frankie was brave and found a gap,” trainer John Gosden said. “They are fantastic owner-breeders who breed with a passion and to win an Oaks is what it's all about.”

Anapurna could hardly have made a more inauspicious start to her career as she trailed in 17-lengths ninth in an extended-mile novice contest on Wolverhampton's Tapeta the day after Boxing Day. Remarkably, by the time she was on Lingfield's Polytrack for a 10-furlong maiden Jan. 30 she was a completely different racing animal and won by five lengths despite hanging right when losing concentration in the closing stages. Back at Lingfield after a lengthy break, she was having her first start on turf in the much-maligned Oaks Trial won by the four subsequent Epsom heroines Aliysa (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), User Friendly (GB) (Slip Anchor {GB}), Lady Carla (GB) (Caerleon)–who was bred by Meon Valley–and Ramruma (Diesis {GB}) between 1989 and 1999. Green again on that hilly terrain, she found a real purpose when out on her own in the straight and was as strong at the line as anywhere as she registered a six-length success.

It came as a surprise when Robert Havlin was picked by the owners of the Listed Cheshire Oaks winner Mehdaayih, leaving Frankie to help create what could be a dream Epsom double for Anapurna's owner-breeders who have Telecaster (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) in Saturday's Derby. Her draw in three was far from ideal, but her rider was keen to use her stride early and he soon had her in the box seat behind Benny Andersson's Lavender's Blue (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and Ballydoyle's Peach Tree (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Neither of that pair were keen to press on with genuine intent, so Anapurna was allowed to languish in her comfort zone under cover provided by the Lingfield Oaks Trial runner-up Tauteke (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) on her outer. Mehdaayih's problems started early, with Havlin being squeezed in behind but the Meon Valley runner was stress-free and easy for the whole of the first mile of the race.

It was Maqsad (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) who loomed in early straight and Shadwell's class act looked as if she had the race at her mercy only to soon cut out as connections' stamina fears proved correct. That left Ryan Moore and Pink Dogwood to seize the initiative as the usual accordion effect was created by this track's contours, which saw to the chance of the favourite once and for all. As Ballydoyle's chief runner went into the clear with two furlongs remaining, the race looked settled much as it had an hour earlier as Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) had swooped in the Coronation Cup but Anapurna had managed to thread through some daylight towards the fence and was in pursuit. As another set-to developed between the supreme masters Dettori and Moore on the storied Downs, in the final count it was a mix of the Frankel power and decades of Meon Valley breeding flair that told.

Mark Weinfeld is now at the helm of his father's Hampshire-based operation built by his late father Egon and he was bedecked in the black-and-white which were first carried to success in a Classic by this filly's fourth dam One In a Million (Ire) (Rarity {GB}) in the 1000 Guineas 40 years ago. “I didn't think we going to get there and I'm speechless,” the stud's managing director said. “We've been placed before, but what a result. John has always said he liked her. She won her trial very well, but we didn't know how good she was and how she would handle the course. She's the toughest. We sell a lot, so this is what we live for and what we dream of.”

Frankie Dettori had first enjoyed Classic glory with Balanchine (Storm Bird) in this 25 years ago and said, “The horses I was following weren't the best ones and I was a bit trapped, so when Ryan kicked and got lengths on me I was worried. When I hit the furlong marker she was motoring and she showed great determination. She's getting to be a very good filly and it is amazing how much she has improved since Lingfield. She travelled very well today. I had never ridden the other one [Mehdaayih] and John made the decision for me. If you had to twist my arm for the truth here and now, I'd have to say that visually Mehdaayih was the more impressive from their trials but that's the way it goes sometimes. It's better not to choose and I had no pressure, so I was able to enjoy it a bit more not riding the favourite.”

Gosden is not rushing future decisions regarding the winner. “She has had a hard race today, so I wouldn't be in a hurry to run her back,” he explained. “I'd love to give her some time to develop, as she has a good frame on her. I wouldn't necessarily say we are going to charge off to the Ribblesdale or Ireland. I think a mile and a half is spot-on for her. At the end of the year you could also run her in the [14-furlong newly-upgraded G1] Prix de Royallieu [at ParisLongchamp Oct. 5]. She stays, but she won't run in the St Leger.”

“She found reserves of courage and energy to get up and in the last 50 yards uphill she basically outstayed the other filly,” Gosden continued. “Full marks to both riders and they are both magnificent fillies. For me, it's very exciting to train for people who go through all the agonies of breeding to try to produce horses like this and when it comes together it's wonderful. They have the horse in the Derby tomorrow too, so it's beyond exciting for them. My other filly got nothing but smashed and bumped around everywhere. Mehdaayih is a very good filly, as good as the winner and there will be another day for her. Her owner was brave to supplement and it's a shame.” Havlin echoed that when saying, “She had a rough trip. I was trying to follow Maqsad and got skittled around a bit between the two and one-and-a-half and she couldn't finish off after that.”

Aidan O'Brien said of Pink Dogwood, “It was her first run over a mile and a half, but she ran a lovely race. I don't know if she was outstayed. She just got collared late and when they do you can always say things like that, but you are never sure. We will see how she is and will decide what to do next time.”

Anapurna is the last known foal out of Dash To The Top (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}), who scored in the Listed Hoppings S. and was runner-up in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks before refusing to race in the 2005 Royallieu when it carried group 2 status. Responsible for the G3 Tetrarch S. runner-up Dynasty (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and Hoppings third Very Dashing (GB) (Dansili {GB}), she is a half to the listed scorer Dash To the Front (GB) (Diktat {GB}). She in turn produced the G1 Prix de l'Opera and G1 Prix Jean Romanet heroine Speedy Boarding (GB) (Shamardal) and also Miss Dashwood (GB) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) who is the dam of the recent G3 Chester Vase third Dashing Willoughby (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). The third dam is the high-class G1 Queen Elizabeth S. heroine Milligram (GB) (Mill Reef), who was also runner-up in both the G1 English and Irish 1000 Guineas. As well as gifting the operation that star, the aforementioned Meon Valley foundation mare One In a Million was also responsible for the G2 Coronation S. third Someone Special (GB) (Habitat) who threw the G1 Juddmonte International winner One So Wonderful (GB) (Nashwan), the G2 Dante S.-winning sire Alnasr Alwasheek (GB) (Sadler's Wells) and the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas-placed Relatively Special (GB) (Alzao).

Friday, Epsom, Britain
INVESTEC OAKS-G1, £525,000, Epsom, 5-31, 3yo, f, 12f 6yT, 2:36.09, gd.
1–ANAPURNA (GB), 126, f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Dash To The Top (GB) (SW & MG1SP-Eng, $212,678), by Montjeu (Ire)
2nd Dam: Millennium Dash (GB), by Nashwan
3rd Dam: Milligram (GB), by Mill Reef
1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Helena Springfield Ltd; B-Meon Valley Stud (GB); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £297,728. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $409,767. *1/2 to Dynasty (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), GSP-Ire; and Very Dashing (GB) (Dansili {GB}), SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pink Dogwood (Ire), 126, f, 3, Camelot (GB)–Question Times (GB), by Shamardal. (115,000gns Wlg '16 TATFOA; €380,000 Ylg '17 GOFOR). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Sweetmans Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £112,875.
3–Fleeting (Ire), 126, f, 3, Zoffany (Ire)–Azafata (Spa), by Motivator (GB). (€50,000 Wlg '16 ARQDEC; €100,000 Ylg '17 ARAUG). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Fernando Bermudez (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £56,490.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 8.00, 3.00, 25.00.
Also Ran: Manuela de Vega (Ire), Delphinia (Ire), Frankellina (GB), Mehdaayih (GB), Maqsad (Fr), Blue Gardenia (Ire), Peach Tree (Ire), Tarnawa (Ire), Tauteke (GB), Sh Boom (GB), Lavender's Blue (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.