You Got To Me and Hector Crouch © Photo Healy Racing
Ralph Beckett has placed a target on Qipco British Champions Day after seeing the tables turned on his Irish Oaks heroine You Got To Me in the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks.
The Valmont and Newsells Park Stud-owned filly gave her connections a day to remember when getting the better of Content to scoop Classic honours at the Curragh, but had to give way this time around as Aidan O’Brien’s daughter of Galileo defied keenness to finish strongest on the Knavesmire.
Having been campaigned at a high level since claiming the Lingfield Oaks Trial earlier in the season, You Got To Me has been seen to better effect since racing more professionally the last twice.
She could now attempt to go one better than stablemate Bluestocking, who was narrowly denied at Ascot on Champions Day in the fillies’ end-of-season showpiece 12 months ago.
Beckett said: “I think she was beaten by the better filly. I’ll have to watch the race again but it looked to me like the winner was on the other side, there’s an element of that but I wouldn’t make too many excuses.
“The Irish Oaks form has been upheld and that is racing. I don’t know what we’ll do next. She’s run well again and I suppose we’d have to look at the Fillies &; Mares at Ascot on Champions Day.
“Whether we run somewhere else again first we’ll have to see, but she was far more settled today which was a positive.”
Meanwhile, John Gosden was delighted to see Emily Uphjohn – who he trains alongside son Thady – return to her best having disappointed in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.
He said: “I said after Goodwood I’d like to take the hood off her, which we did, and let her enjoy herself.
“She ran a lovely race, obviously we had the pacemaker besides us and they’ve gone a solid pace all the way and I think you do learn in life that giving 9lb to improving three-year-olds at this time of year is very difficult so it’s notable that the Irish Oaks winner and second are first and second again.
“He (Kieran Shoemark, jockey) got left alone in front too soon. The pacemaker did a good job for Ryan (Moore), but it did mean we were left on our own in front a long way out. The last furlong to home was quite a long way, but never forget the weight difference.
“Enable won it at three and came back to win it as an older horse, she was able to give the 9lb.
“I don’t think the position on the track made a whole lot of difference in the end, the second came from the same place as us so to that extent we’ve no complaints.”
Having shown she is still capable of mixing it with the best fillies and mares around, Gosden believes there is still plenty of time for Emily Upjohn to return to the winner’s enclosure this season and is eyeing a trip to ParisLongchamp next month for the Prix Vermaille.
He continued: “She’s run a valiant race, I’m very happy with her and she’s coming back to her very best. We’ll probably look at something like the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp in the middle of September. It’s nice to se her show her true form again.
“We’ll take it one step at a time, the fillies’ Group One races are at the back end of the year. It’s taken her a long time to come back, but she’s proven she is.”
On Emily Upjohn’s stablemate Queen Of The Pride, Gosden added: “It all happened a bit quick for Queen Of The Pride and we’ll step her up in trip for the Park Hill at Doncaster. Her mother won the Leger there and I think she’ll appreciate that trip.”
