Country comfort as Dettori wins Gimcrack

Top jockey Kieren Fallon powered Islington to win the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks yesterday as Godolphin's dual Classic winner Kazzia finished a disappointing fourth on day two of the prestigious Ebor Meeting at York.

However, the Gainsborough-bred Country Reel compensated for the shock defeat of one of the stable's stars-in-the-making, when winning the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes under Frankie Dettori.

Islington, who is trained by Barbados-born Sir Michael Stoute finished eighth behind Kazzia when the pair last clashed in the Epsom Oaks on June 7.

But the Saddler's Wells daughter yesterday looked a much-improved horse in the capable hands of Fallon when posting a compelling five length victory and land the £145,000 winner's purse.

Islington, who tracked the leaders in third place, quickened and pulled clear of the 11-horse field approaching final furlong leaving German-raider Guadalupe, John Gosden's Sulk and Kazzia to dispute the lower placings.

A photo was called upon to separate the trio with Italian Oaks heroine Guadalupe prevailing by a head from Sulk who in turn spared a head to Kazzia.

"Islington has never felt as good before," Fallon told Sportinglife. "She has really come to herself and everything has gone right for her today.

"She is a really good filly, who has really got it together since Epsom. She has the speed for a mile and she stays a mile and a half, and there is more to come - her trainer is a master at improving horses as they get older."

Islington provided Stoute with his sixth Yorkshire Oaks.

"Her owner Lord Weinstock loved this filly, and it is the acceleration she has got that makes her special," said the trainer.

"We will have to think about where to run her next as we also have Golan to consider. Islington is not in the St Leger and she will not be supplemented. But the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf is definitely a possibility."

Godolphin Racing Manager Simon Crisford blamed Kazzia's defeat on the two-and-a-half-month break she has had since winning the Vodafone Oaks.

"We have given her an easy time since Epsom and I think she got found out a little but - that's what it looked like to me," he said.

"Frankie Dettori said that the going was a bit too firm for her and that she wasn't enjoying it. She is in the St Leger and the Prix Vermeille. If she had won like we thought she would we would have gone for the Leger but we are slightly back to the drawing board."

Dettori, however, compensated in some way for Kazzia's shock defeat by winning the Group Two Scottish Equitable Gimcrack Stakes astride favourite Country Reel. The two-year-old Danzig colt is owned by His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, but represents Godolphin.

He is trained by David Loder who looks after Godolphin's juvenile string.

Country Reel battled courageously to hold off the hard-driven Mister Links, ridden by Richard Hughes, to post a half a length victory.

"He is very professional but thinks that he has done enough when he gets to the front," Dettori said after the race.

"He has improved a lot from his maiden run and I knew that if something came to him he would pull out a bit more. I hope that he can improve some more."

Commenting on his latest winner Loder said: "He has done very well. He is a very lazy horse and he just does enough - he is never going to win by five or six lengths.

"He is a nice progressive horse and Frankie thinks he should stay at six furlongs for the time being so we will probably think about a race like the Middle Park Stakes for him."

York results:
Aston Upthorpe Yorkshire Oaks (Gr 1)
(3yo+ fillies & mares) (1m 4f):
1. Islington (trained by Sir Michael Stoute) ridden by Kieren Fallon; 2. Guadalupe (P Schiergen) Andreas Suborics; 3. Sulk (J Gosden) Richard Hughes; 4. Kazzia (Saeed bin Suroor) Frankie Dettori.
11 Ran. Distances: 5L, Hd, Hd.
Winning time: 2:26.740.

Scottish Equitable Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 2)
(2yo colts & geldings) (6f):
1. Country Reel (D Loder) Frankie Dettori; 2. Mister Links (R Hannon) Richard Hughes; 3. Membership (C Brittain) Brette Doyle; 4. Revenue (M Bell) Jamie Spencer.
11 Ran. Distances: 1/2L, 1L, Nk.
Winning time: 1:12.610