Crusade’s Galileo Sister Lands Gr1 Irish Oaks

Aidan O’Brien landed the Irish Oaks at the Curragh for a fifth time but not with the runner many expected.

While O’Brien’s Ryan Moore-ridden 4-5 favourite Even Song could only finish a disappointing seventh, the Classic went to Seamie Heffernan-ridden stablemate Seventh Heaven, a half-sister to Gr1 Middle Park Stakes winner Crusade who stands at Scott Bros’ Highdown Stud.

The 14-1 winner had been well beaten in the Oaks at Epsom having previously landed the Lingfield Oaks trial.

British raiders filled the places with Hugo Palmer’s Architecture (Frankie Dettori) second and Mick Channon-trained Harlequeen (Silvestre de Sousa) third just as she had been in the English Oaks which was won by O’Brien’s Minding.

Pretty Perfect, one of four Aidan O’Brien-trained runners in the contest, set a testing gallop in front for the first mile and a quarter of the contest, with Seventh Heaven and stablemate Even Song, the hot favourite, held up well in rear.

But whereas Even Song was never able to make any gains and proved highly disappointing, Seventh Heaven steadily cut her way through the pack from the two-furlong pole under a confident ride.

Architecture, pulled out to make her challenge by Frankie Dettori with over a furlong to run, briefly collided with the winner, and looked for a few strides as if she might go one better than her Epsom second

However, the challenge of the 14/1 winner proved irrepressible and she galloped clear to score by two and three-quarter lengths from Architecture, who confirmed form with Epsom third Harlequeen, Mick Channon’s filly making late gains under Silvestre de Sousa to occupy the same placing again.

Heffernan admitted victory had come as a pleasant surprise.

“It was a Group One and we went at a Group One pace,” he told At The Races. “I was always travelling great, but if you’d given me the choice before the race I’d have given back half the prize money to ride Even Song. That’s the way it can be with fillies though. Sometimes they just don’t turn up.”

The trainer said he felt that Seventh Heaven had failed to handle the contours at Epsom and had been better suited by the more galloping track here.

“She won well at Lingfield and she has confirmed that form here with the filly who was second that day (Architecture) but Ryan said afterwards that he wasn’t sure she would handle the track at Epsom,” O’Brien explained.

“We decided to take the chance because it was the Oaks, but Ryan was right and she didn’t enjoy it at all. However, Seamie said she would appreciate this galloping track more and he gave her a very confident ride. He had second pick and he chose her.

“Obviously the flat track suited better. She loved the ground and the flat track. She was always a high-quality filly and Seamus gave her a lovely ride. They went a good gallop and on the different track we saw improvement. She’s probably progressing.

“I was surprised when I saw her in the parade ring and had to take a second look at her to see the physical development.

“I suppose she could go to York (for the Yorkshire Oaks), she’ll love the flat track. There’s a way to go before that, which would give us a bit of time to give her a break. She’s a lovely, big, flowing Galileo filly.”

 

This is the third foal for the dam La Traviata, a Group winning daughter of Johannesburg. From her first three foals (the first being Crusade), she has produced two Gr1 winners and the multiple Group placed son of Henrythenavigator, Cristoforo Columbo. La Traviata has since returned to Galileo twice for further matings.

Crusade has stamped his progeny in no uncertain terms and their quality has been recognised at sales where they have been enthusiastically received in a difficult economic climate. His first 18 yearlings presented at Nationals averaged R160 000, whilst at the KZN Yearling Sale, Crusade was the top selling freshman sire averaging almost R100 000 for 16 yearlings sold.

A big imposing black stallion with not a stitch of white to be seen on him, Crusade has a very kind temperament and we look forward to the future successes of his progeny. He stands for R20 000 this season.