Aidan O’Brien wins eighth Yorkshire Oaks with Content

Content gained revenge on her Irish Oaks conqueror You Got To Me to claim the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks at York.

A daughter of Galileo out of dual Nunthorpe winner Mecca’s Angel, it was somewhat fitting that Aidan O’Brien’s filly was enjoying her finest hour on the Knavesmire as she registered the biggest victory of her carer.

Keen in the early stages in the hands of Ryan Moore as stablemate Port Fairy led the field along in company with William Haggas’ Sea Theme, the eye was drawn to Emily Upjohn as the runners entered the straight.

John and Thady Gosden’s mare breezed to the head of proceedings in the hands of Kieran Shoemark, but Curragh one-two You Got To Me and Content (3/1 favourite) were never far behind as the trio became looked in a three-way battle in the closing stages.

Content and Ralph Beckett’s Classic heroine edged their way past eventual third Emily Upjohn with the line approaching, but this time around it was the Ballydoyle filly who pulled out extra to become the late, great Galileo’s 100th individual Group One winner.

It was an eighth Yorkshire Oaks for O’Brien, who has now won four of the last five runnings of the mile-and-a-half event.

“She has come forward since the Curragh and every time we have stepped her up in trip she has improved,” said O’Brien.

“We ran her in the fillies’ race on (Irish) Derby weekend, the Pretty Polly, to see if she would get a mile and a quarter and she finished behind two older fillies. Ryan came in and said no doubt she will get a mile and a half and we went to the Irish Oaks and we had a pacemaker that didn’t go fast enough for her and the race never opened up for her.

“Ryan gave her an incredible ride and she’s not straightforward or easy. She has a lot of pace and he did an incredible job to get her relaxed. The pace was stronger today and she kept coming. Ryan was surprised because she was so keen but she kept coming from the three-furlong marker. It was incredible ride and she is a very brave filly who will be better in a faster-run race.

“She could go to one of the fillies’ (Arc) trials, she could go to an Arc or a Vermeille or to America. She’s definitely going to be better where the pace is strong, wherever that is, as she is still racing in a gear too high. When she gets into a gear which has other horses out of their comfort zone, she will be comfortable and it will be amazing to see what she can do off that kind of pace.”