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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Robert Hynes

Aidan O'Brien-trained horse made Oaks favourite after bolting up by 22 lengths at Chester

Some betting firms cut Savethelastdance to as short as 6/4 for the Oaks after she bolted up by 22 lengths at Chester on Wednesday.

The daughter of Galileo was seriously impressive as she overcame a slowish start in the Cheshire Oaks to put the race to bed within a couple of strides under jockey Ryan Moore.

Ridden patiently at the rear of the cluster by Moore as Pam Sly’s Wintercrack led the field along, she had plenty of work to do as Charlie Johnston’s Sirona went to tackle the front-running Wintercrack with just over three furlongs to run.

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As Sirona moved to the head of the pack, Moore was making significant headway aboard the 8-11 favourite and when the Ballydoyle number one pressed the button on drawing alongside Sirona she soon left the opposition trailing in her wake to register a bloodless 22-length success in rain-softened ground.

It was Aidan O’Brien’s eighth success in the Listed event to become the most successful trainer in the Roodee feature, one ahead of Barry Hills whom he was previously locked on seven with.

Savethelastdance, meanwhile, is out of Daddys Lil Darling who famously bolted to post and was withdrawn from Enable’s Oaks in 2017, but it is hoped her daughter will fare better on the Surrey Downs with Betfair going 2-1 from 5-1 for the Epsom Classic on June 2, while Paddy Power go even shorter and make her the 13-8 favourite.

Riding his sixth winner of the race, Moore said: “I was very impressed, you can only be impressed by what she’s done there.

“They kind of all gave up with half a mile to go and she was just getting going, but she gave me a very good feel – she’s probably given me as good a feel in this race as the ones I’ve ridden (in it before).

“She stepped a little slow, but they went very hard early on and she just relaxed and followed them round.

“I thought I’d just make sure she knew what she had to do and she stretched all the way to the line and ran right through the line.”

William Hill Spokesperson, Lee Phelps, commented: “The money had been very strong for Savethelastdance even before her Cheshire Oaks win, but after her hugely impressive victory we’ve had to cut her to just 6/4 for the Oaks at Epsom.

“We did make her a 2/1 chance immediately, but the money flew in straight after her 22-length demolition job and she’s now just 6/4 to give Aidan O’Brien an 11th Oaks next month.”

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