Dubai: Lady Of Dubai ran a huge race in defeat as 50-1 outsider Qualify scored a shock victory in the Group 1 Investec Oaks at Epsom Racecourse on Friday.
Ridden by jockey Adam Kirby in the colours of former Derby-winning owner Shaikh Mohammad Obaid Al Maktoum, the Luca Cumani-trained daughter of Dubawi looked to have every chance after hitting the front with a furlong to run, but was eventually reined in by the winner and second-placed Legatissimo, the 1,000 Guineas (G1) heroine.
Legatissimo was bidding to become the first Guineas winner to land the Oaks since Godolphin’s Kazzia in 2002.
Qualify justifed her rating as the most experienced horse in the race with two wins from nine outings, including the Group 3 Park Stakes at The Curragh.
Although she finished down the field in both the Guineas at Newmarket and the Irish equivalent, Qualify looked the best horse in this race, changing gears like a well-oiled machine to deny the favourite.
She also provided Irish rider Colm O’Donoghue with his biggest success since Treasure Beach won the Irish Derby (G1) in 2011,
Aidan O’Brien, who has been responsible for four previous winners in the Oaks — Shahtoush (1998), Imagine (2001), Alexandrov (2006) and Was (2012) — was delighted to record his fifth success in a race that acts as a prelude to the Investec Derby, run 24 hours later at Epsom.
“I’m not surprised, she’s always shown a lot of pace and is a well-balanced filly,” said O’Donoghue.
“Because she shows so much pace we were unsure if she’d get the trip, but she saw it out really strong.”
O’Brien added: “She was always very classy and won her Group 3 at the Curragh very easy last year.
“She’s by Galileo, they are usually tough, and Colm gave her a masterful ride. We’re lucky, we have high-class horses and she’d always worked like one. I was just a bit worried the ground wasn’t fast enough.
“It’s great that we bred her, too.”
Earlier in the day, last year’s Derby fourth Arod posted an easy victory in the Group 3 Investec Diomed Stakes, a 1,700-metre contest named after the inaugural winner of the Epsom Derby.
Andrea Atzeni’s mount comfortably held off the late challenge of Custom Cut, under Ryan Moore, to score by two lengths.
“He deserves that, they’ve always liked him and he ran well in the Derby last year,” said the winning rider. “He was a bit keen but he didn’t stop and stayed well, he was by far the best horse and it’s good to get his head in front.
“He’s a beautiful looking horse and hopefully there’s more to come. I’d say a mile is his trip as he has such a high cruising speed, but he could stay 10 furlongs.”
Winning handler Peter Chapple-Hyam said: “Last year we tried to switch him off as I was asked to train him for a Derby, he ran well but didn’t stay, although saying that he met some good horses so could have been beaten by them over any trip.
“You’ve got to stay here as it’s a stiff track, but class will always out.
“I know where I’ll be told to go, Royal Ascot, and that is a different kettle of fish with all those horses and me and him.
“If we get it dry and it’s very quick, he could play a part in the Queen Anne, but obviously the Hong Kong horse [Able Friend] would like fast ground.”
Arabian Queen made all the running for Brazilian rider Silvestre De Sousa to land the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, the opening race on the seven-event card.
Trained by David Elsworth, the winner finished four lengths clear of Crowley’s Law, the mount of Richard Kingscote, who just held off William Buick’s Odeliz by three parts of a length.
De Sousa said: “She had won a Group Two as a two-year-old and David was very confident. It’s her first run this year, but she’s genuine and tough. She only had 8st 8lb on her back, so it wasn’t a lot.”
