Arriving as the 1,000 Guineas champion and with an unblemished five-race record, the Charlie Appleby-trained Desert Flower started as the warm favourite for the 2025 edition of the fillies’ Classic. Already a two-time Group 1 winner, her class was not in doubt, but would she stay the trip?
The race in 2024 marked the end of a 10-year sequence in which either Aidan O’Brien or John Gosden claimed the Oaks. Most expected the Ballydoyle maestro to provide the stiffest opposition to the market leader, with his trio of Minnie Hauk, Whirl, and Giselle all arriving on the back of solid trial wins. Ryan Moore’s decision to ride Cheshire Oaks winner Minnie Hauk saw the Frankel filly start as the clear second favourite. John & Thady Gosden were represented by Go Go Boots, but she sat amongst the outsiders following a third-placed effort in the Musidora Stakes.
Ralph Beckett’s Revoir and Elwateen from the yard of Saeed bin Suroor were the two potential improvers in the field on only their third career start, whilst Ed Walker’s Qilin Queen thrust her hat into the ring with a frontrunning success in the Newbury Oaks Trial. Joseph O’Brien’s Wemightakedlongway rounded out the nine-runner field and was a popular each-way option, having mastered Minnie Hauk in a Cork Maiden last season.
Result
- 1st – Minnie Hauk 9/2, Jockey: Ryan Moore, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
- 2nd – Whirl 15/2, Jockey: Wayne Lordan, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
- 3rd – Desert Flower 11/10F, Jockey: William Buick, Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Prize Money Breakdown
- 1st – £325,033.36
- 2nd – £123,227.24
- 3rd – £61,670.94
- 4th – £30,720.84
- 5th – £15,417.74
- 6th – £7,737.53
Tote and Forecast Payouts
- Tote Win – £5.50
- Tote Places – 1st – £1.70, 2nd – £1.90, 3rd – £1.20
- Exacta – £23.20
- Computer Straight Forecast (CSF) – £36.79
- Trifecta – £78.60
- Tricast – £61.27
Recap
Wayne Lordan made his intentions clear when the stalls opened, immediately stoking his mount, Whirl, into the lead. Minnie Hauk broke well from stall two to latch onto the leader alongside Joseph O’Brien’s Wemightakedlongway. Buick sat fourth aboard the hot favourite, followed by Qilin Queen, Elwateen, Revoir, and Giselle, with Go Go Boots bringing up the rear.
There was little change in the order moving up the hill towards the seven-furlong pole, with Whirl opening up a two-length advantage over Ryan Moore and Minnie Hauk. Wemightakedlongway travelled nicely in third, but Desert Flower didn’t appear to be in love with the Epsom track in fourth. Giselle and Revoir were held onto in midfield, with Go Go Boots looking the only unlikely winner at this stage.
Moving on towards Tattenham Corner, Whirl continued to set the fractions, with a slight pace injection stretching her lead to around three lengths. Minnie Hauk moved ominously well in second to keep the leader in her sights. Wemightakedlongway enjoyed a clear passage just off Desert Flower on the rail, with the favourite making harder work of it than those in front of her. Those further back appeared up against it in a race run at a steady gallop.
Whirl continued to hold a two-length advantage as the field turned into the straight, but the smooth-travelling Minnie Hauk looked like a huge threat under a confident Moore. Not much coming from further back, as Desert Flower failed to pick up to meaningful effect over the additional distance.
Moving into the final furlong, it became clear that the prize would fall to Aidan O’Brien and Ballydoyle, but with which filly? Whirl stuck to her task gallantly towards the inside rail and briefly threatened to retake the lead, having been headed by Minnie Hauk. However, the second favourite had all the answers in the stamina department to assert late for a neck success. A gallant second for Whirl, with Desert Flower four lengths adrift in third.
It was a one-two for Aidan O’Brien, who grabbed a record-extending 11th Oaks success, and a fifth win in the race for Ryan Moore. Frankel sired his third Oaks winner following the victories of Anapurna (2019) and Soul Sister (2023).
Runners
- 1. Desert Flower – SP: 11/10F, Trainer: Charlie Appleby, Jockey: William Buick
- 2. Elwateen – SP: 14/1, Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor, Jockey: Jim Crowley
- 3. Giselle – SP: 13/2, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Colin Keane
- 4. Go Go Boots – SP: 33/1, Trainer: John & Thady Gosden, Jockey: Oisin Murphy
- 5. Minnie Hauk – SP: 9/2, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Ryan Moore
- 6. Qilin Queen – SP: 20/1, Trainer: Ed Walker, Jockey: Tom Marquand
- 7. Revoir – SP: 22/1, Trainer: Ralph Beckett, Jockey: Hector Crouch
- 8. Wemightakedlongway – SP: 16/1, Trainer: Joseph O’Brien, Jockey: Dylan Browne McMonagle
- 9. Whirl – SP: 15/2, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Wayne Lordan
Non Runners
All Ran