Snowfall takes English Oaks by a record 16 lengths
Snowfall emerged from the back of a field of 14 to win Friday’s Group 1 English Oaks at Epsom Racecourse by a record 16 lengths on a rainy day, continuing her ascension in the European 3-year-old filly division.
Snowfall, who paid $12.80 in American pools, was ridden by Frankie Dettori, who positioned the filly closer to the front at the bottom of Epsom’s uphill finish. With the field migrating to the outside rail, instead of the conventional path on the inside, Snowfall took the lead with more than a furlong remaining and was quickly clear.
The previous record for a winning margin was 12 lengths, set by Sun Princess in 1983.
Mystery Angel (35-1) finished second after setting the pace for much of the $560,000 race at 1 1/2 miles. Mystery Angel finished 1 3/4 lengths in front of Divinely. Santa Barbara, the 2-1 favorite, finished fifth.
Snowfall, Divinely, and Santa Barbara were three of five runners in the field trained by Aidan O’Brien, who leads modern trainers with nine wins in the Epsom Oaks. The all-time record of 13 wins was set in the early 1800s by Robert Robson.
For Dettori, Snowfall was his sixth career Oaks winner. Snowfall races for the Coolmore syndicate of Sue Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor. Magnier has won the race a record eight times in various partnerships, often with the other Coolmore partners.
Snowfall, a Japanese-bred by Deep Impact, has won 3 of 9 starts. At 2, she won a maiden race at the Curragh in July and was fourth or worse in four group stakes in England and Ireland for the rest of the year.
This year, Snowfall is unbeaten in two starts. She won her first race of the year in the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at 1 5/16 miles at York Racecourse in northern England on May 12.
O’Brien and Dettori teamed to win the English 1000 Guineas last month with Mother Earth, who did not race in the Epsom Oaks.
Earlier on Friday’s program, Pyledriver ($18.60) held off a sustained threat from even-money favorite Al Aasy to win the Group 1 Coronation Cup at 1 1/2 miles by a neck.
Ridden by Martin Dwyer for the training partnership of William Muir and Chris Grassick, Pyledriver was always near the front and responded when tested by Al Aasy, who closed from the back of a field of six.
Pyledriver, a winner of 5 of 12 starts, is a 4-year-old by Harbour Watch who won two Group 2 races last year for 3-year-olds – the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August.
Pyledriver was winless in three starts in Group 1 races in 2020, including an 11th in the English Derby and a third in the English St. Leger. The win in the $467,800 Coronation Cup is part of a June campaign expected to continue in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Royal Ascot on June 19.