Irish trainer Dermot Weld took the Oaks at Epsom this afternoon (31 May), when Ezeliya powered home to take the Betfred-sponsored race under Chris Hayes for owner HH The Aga Khan IV.
It was a second success in the mile and a half fillies’ Classic for Mr Weld, 43 years after Lester Piggott partnered Blue Wind to victory in the 1981 renewal.
“Ezeliya is a queen. She’s a very professional, strong-travelling filly. She did everything right, and didn’t take a step wrong,” said Chris, who is also an Irish 1000 Guineas-winning jockey.
“I just wanted to keep momentum on her and angle her out at the top of the straight and she just leapt onto the bridle again. I knew she’d stay and I knew she had class – it’s brilliant.”
Mr Weld said: “It’s a really special day. We’re very fortunate to have a filly for his Highness [The Aga Khan] as good as this.
“Patience has paid dividends with her. We took our time with her as a two-year-old and gave her just the one run this year when she won nicely at Navan.
“I said to Chris to just ride a similar race on her, ride her with confidence and take your time to get her into a rhythm before you let her go. I never worried about the distance with her – she’s a stayer with speed.”
It was a first British Classic success for Chris.
“You can have all the sprinters you like but give me a Classic any day of the week, that’s what you’ll be remembered for,” said Chris. “Any Classic winner is special and I’ve been very fortunate.”
Mr Weld said: “Chris gave her a beautiful ride. That was the plan, to ride her the same as he rode her at Navan, where he dropped her out last. She loves to come from off the pace.
“She’s a very genuine, brave filly, and her dam was a very good race mare I trained, but this filly probably has a bit more speed and a bit more class, she’s very progressive and I was confident she would stay.
“She got a beautiful ride from Chris Hayes and she had the race won a long way out. She was cantering, and she got a lovely run down the hill. Chris got her balanced and into a rhythm before he let her go.”
Speaking of possible future plans for this filly, Mr Weld said: “We’ll see how she comes out of the race. She’s not a big filly, and Classics always take something out of a horse, we’ll review it.
“She is in the Irish Oaks, but we’ll decide whether we give her time off for an autumn campaign, which may involve the Arc.”
Continuing to reflect on his winning ride, Chris explained: “She moved forward quicker than I thought she was going to. I never had a moment’s doubt, once I was approaching the furlong pole, I knew nothing was going to be able to come as quickly as she was going to finish. It took me right to the end to pull her up – it’s probably because I was celebrating as well, but I had a good bit of petrol left. It was brilliant.”
The horses in behind
Ezeliya went off as second favourite in the Epsom Oaks at odds of 13/2, while the favourite Ylang Ylang (11/8) finished nine-and-a-half lengths down in sixth under Ryan Moore for trainer Aidan O’Brien. Dance Sequence finished second under William Buick for trainer Charlie Appleby and owner Godolphin, three lengths behind the winner. This classy filly looked unbalanced on the notorious Epsom camber in the latter stages of the race, but is definitely one to watch for the future.
Mr Appleby said: “She did find the track tricky, yes. I think William was just glad to get her across the line in the end. He said we were probably outstayed, realistically, but he had to make his move when he did – the race was coming back to him and she was going forward, and I totally agree with him on all aspects there. It was a very pleasing run and we’ll have some fun with her in the summer, and more in the autumn when we know she appreciates cut in the ground.”
The 50/1 shot War Chimes finished a creditable third in the Epsom Oaks result, four-and-a-half lengths behind the winner, under Tom Marquand for trainer David Menuisier and owner Tars Farm Equestrian Stud.
Mr Menusier said of his filly’s Epsom Oaks result: “It was like winning. She’s an unbelievable filly. The last time she ran in France, there was no pace, she was pulling too hard and she had no cover, and she couldn’t relax. I just draw a line through that and I always felt that she’d be better at 1m4f.”
2024 Epsom Oaks result: Ezeliya’s breeding
Ezeliya, a home-bred by the Aga Khan, is bred in the purple; by the formidable Dubawi, out of a Teofilo mare named Eziyra. Remarkably, this is the first Oaks winner Dubawi has sired from 15 previous attempts.
Dubawi is the most successful stallion ever to stand in Britain. He has sired 266 Stakes winners, 175 Group winners, 57 Group One winners. He stands at his owner’s Dalham Hall Stud at a fee of £350,000 for the 2024 season.
Ezeliya’s dam is also a home-bred belonging to theAga Khan, and she was also trained by Dermot Weld. She clocked £541,876 during her career on the Flat, with her most notable victory coming in the Group Two Blandford Stakes at the Curragh in 2018. Ezeliya is from the family of Estimate, who won the Ascot Gold Cup.
Read the full report from the Derby meeting in the 6 June issue of Horse & Hound magazine.
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