Savethelastdance© Photo Healy Racing
Savethelastdance matched at the ceiling price of 1,000 in-running when winning today's Curragh Juddmonte Irish Oaks in a breathless performance which, passing the line, elicited a puff of the cheeks from jockey Ryan Moore.
The Galileo-filly was off-the-bridle throughout the final third of the 1m4f classic and while seemingly held in fourth with a furlong to race, wore away at her rivals on rain-softened ground.
Savethelastdance matched at virtually every price on Betfair, ranging from €14 at 1,000 and on passing runner-up Bluestocking in the final strides, to 1.01.
Trainer Aidan O'Brien, taking home his seventh Oaks, reported “it's a long time since she ran, she had a break after (finishing second at) Epsom and obviously we knew this was her first run back for an autumn campaign.
“She's a big relaxed mare and obviously the ground was way different than what she ran on the last time. The lads were delighted with her at home, she was thriving and doing great.
“Chris's filly (Hayes on seventh-placed Azazat just came around her when she was just starting to get going and she might have gotten a little bit intimidated by it. Ryan gave her a brilliant ride, he re-motivated her - when she was in a little bit of trouble he kept her coming forward without panicking and got her out, then he asked her to come again.”
“It's a very difficult thing to motivate a horse on that type of ground but she did answer for him. He was brilliant on her.”
Regarding plans for Savethelastdance he added “obviously we know she stays very well. I'd say she's going to sharpen up a good bit from today.
“She's a massive big masculine filly, she's unusual as she's a filly but she has a pair of horns on her head which is very unusual for a filly. She has a big strong backside on her.
“She's out of a Scat Daddy mare and obviously by Galileo, all the Galileo came out when Ryan really wanted her, she got down for him. I'm over the moon for the lads, she's another unbelievable broodmare prospect.
“It's very possible she will stay in training - the lads have been doing that if everything is well over the last few years. If they decided that we'd be delighted.
“We're treating this as her first run of an autumn campaign. She had her time after the Oaks to build back up into this.
“The Curragh has shown again that with an even pace here there is nowhere to hide out there. You have to get to that line, the last furlong here off an even gallop can be a very long furlong.”
Regarding his third-placed finisher Library he added “Gavin (Ryan) gave her a lovely ride. He jumped out to make the running and then thought Joseph's horse (Lumiere Rock) was going to make it but that filly is always a bit lazy in front so Gavin just went on at an even pace and it was the right thing to do for everybody.
“It was changing a bit as it went on. She's (Library) is a filly that we ran over a mile-and-six the last time, she ran in Leopardstown and just got into trouble off the bend when the race was starting to build up.
“She was probably better than her run the last day. She's a very well-bred filly as well and he gave her a lovely ride.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
