Ballydoyle Dominate Irish Oaks Confirmations, But Epsom Rematch Unlikely

[Wandering Eyes]

A rematch between Minnie Hauk (Frankel) and Whirl (Wootton Bassett) in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh is unlikely, according to trainer Aidan O'Brien, who was responsible for six of the nine fillies left in the Classic on Tuesday.

Just a neck separated the two stablemates when they met in the Oaks at Epsom, with Minnie Hauk edging ahead in the final strides to get the better of the gutsy Whirl, who has since gained a first Group 1 success of her own when seeing off her elders to win the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.

Following that form boost, Minnie Hauk is the odds-on favourite with bookmakers to emulate Lambourn by completing a Classic double for her connections, who also have Bedtime Story (Frankel), Butterfly Wings (Justify), Island Hopping (Wootton Bassett) and Merrily (No Nay Never) still in contention for the Irish Oaks.

“They probably won't both run, I'd imagine,” O'Brien said of Minnie Hauk and Whirl. “We were thinking that Whirl and Bedtime Story might go for the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood over 10 furlongs. Whirl came back to a mile and a quarter last time in the Pretty Polly and she was happy over that distance.”

He added, “Minnie Hauk has been fine since Epsom. She had a little break and everything has been good since.”

Fozzy Stack's Bay Colony (New Bay), Johnny Murtagh's Subsonic (Lope De Vega) and Joseph O'Brien's Wemightakedlongway (Australia) are the other confirmations.

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