Minnie Hauk lands Irish Oaks to complete Oaks double

Minnie Hauk scored an Oaks double Saturday at The Curragh when she won the Irish Oaks by 1 1/4 lengths. The victory came about six weeks after Minnie Hauk had captured the Oaks at Epsom.

Ryan Moore rode his fourth Irish Oaks winner as Minnie Hauk gave trainer Aidan O’Brien his eighth win in the 1 1/2-mile classic fixture. Heavily favored, Minnie Hauk paid $2.20 on the American tote.

O’Brien sent out four of the seven Irish Oaks starters and had Wayne Lordan put Island Hopping on the lead. Moore settled Minnie Hauk in third along the rail in the early stages, coming off the fence – the jockey on another O’Brien runner, Merrily, kindly making sure his mount did not get in her way – to keep Minnie Hauk out of trouble. She stalked the pace from third, second choice Wemightakedlongway tracking Island Hopping, as the field went round the race’s lone long, gentle bend and began angling into the extended home straight. Wemightakedlongway collared Island Hopping without being asked and took the lead with a little less than a quarter mile remaining, and only after Moore began vigorously hand-riding did Minnie Hauk kick into gear. She ate into Wemightakedlongway’s lead, getting to her with a half-furlong remaining and pushing clear. Island Hopping held third, 2 1/2 lengths out of second.

Minnie Hauk, a daughter of Frankel and Multilingual, by Dansili, won for the fourth time in five starts. O’Brien left open two options for upcoming starts: Go to the Yorkshire Oaks on Aug. 21 or await the Prix Vermeille on Sept. 27 at Longchamp. In either case, Minnie Hauk is aimed toward the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, for which she’s a tepid antepost favorite.

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