Hauk flies home in the Oaks
The punters put their faith in Desert Flower’s stamina before the Oaks on Friday, backing the 1,000 Guineas winner down to start at 11-10, but they left Epsom poorer and wiser as Aidan O’Brien’s Minnie Hauk, the Cheshire Oaks winner, ground down her stable companion, Whirl, in the final strides to win the third Classic of 2025 by a neck.
It was race that unfolded just as O’Brien would have hoped, as Whirl set off hard to make it a stamina test with Minnie Hauk waiting to pounce on her outside. Desert Flower’s class was enough to carry her into third place, four lengths behind Whirl, but she did not threaten to pick up the leaders at any stage after coming under some pressure with three furlongs still to run.
The victory was O’Brien’s 11th in the fillies’ Classic, which puts him within sight of Robert Robson’s all-time record of 13 Oaks victories, set between 1802 and 1825.
“She was just ready to run at Chester,” O’Brien said. “She barely made it, but she made abnormal improvement from Chester, which we thought she might. It was all class rather than stamina or fitness, she just has a lot of class.
“Ryan gave her a beautiful ride, he loved her the last day and he loved her again today, so it’s very exciting. She’s still a bit green. Obviously at Chester she learned a lot, but she was always going to improve with racing.
“What you love about her is she’s a great traveller with a lot of class. Ryan said he was going very easy early on, so usually that means she can step up a couple of grades, into even higher class races. She could take on the boys if the lads [in the Coolmore ownership syndicate] decide it.”
Minnie Hauk’s win completed a 23-1 Group One double on the day for her trainer after Jan Brueghel’s defeat of Calandagan, the odds-on favourite, in the Coronation Cup.
Mickael Barzalona came with a strong run on Calandagan and was alongside the winner inside the final furlong but Ryan Moore found a final effort from Jan Brueghel to win by half a length.
“They started to race from a long way out and it was incredible in the straight how he carried on,” O’Brien said. “He’s a very brave horse, and if you pass him slowly, you’re in trouble.”
5.10pm Debenhams Handicap result
1 Partisan Hero (S De Sousa) 7-2
2 Golden Mind (O J Orr) 25-1
3 Rhoscolyn (Jason Watson) 5-1
12 ran
Non Runner: 8
Updated
5.10pm Debenhams Handicap
And they’re off … Partisan Hero leads as they head down the hill towards Tattenham Corner … in the home straight … Golden Mind comes with a challenge and here comes Rhoscolyn … but Partisan Hero kicks on again and has held on from Golden Mind.
Updated
5.10pm Debenhams Handicap betting
Miss Information 2/1
Partisan Hero 9/2
Rhoscolyn 9/2
Stanage 8/1
Alzahir 12/1
Majestic Wave 14/1
Darkness 18/1
Legal Reform 22/1
Marlay Park 25/1
Samuel Colt 33/1
Persuasion 40/1
Golden Mind 40/1
Updated
5.10pm Debenhams Handicap
The getting-out race on the Friday card has not been much of a friend to the punters in recent seasons, with relatively unfancied winners in the last three seasons including Bowman, at 80-1, in 2022, and it is probably not a race to get seriously involved with this time around, either. That said, Rhoscolyn will be a popular pick to win it for a third time, after going in at 9-2 and 9-1 in 2021 and 2024 respectively, while ALZAHIR, at around 10-1,could well step up on his run behind Old Cock in a strong race at York last time.
SELECTION: ALZAHIR
Updated
4.35pm Trustatrader Handicap result: Mirsky makes it
1 Mirsky (Oisin Murphy) 9-4 Fav
2 Alpha Crucis (Jason Watson) 8-1
3 Julia Augusta (Tom Marquand) 40-1
10 ran
Non Runner: 10
Updated
4.35pm Trustatrader Handicap
And they’re off … Flight Plan as usual will take the lead … Bopedro is last in the early stages … now they are heading for Tattenham Corner … into the straight and Mirsky is well placed … and takes the lead … and will go on to win well.
A SECOND winner of the day for Oisin Murphy 👏
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 6, 2025
Mirsky takes the Trustatrader Handicap 🥇#EpsomDerbyFestival | @oismurphy pic.twitter.com/ziWCJjgPCO
Updated
4.35pm Trustatrader Handicap betting
Mirsky 5/2
Ebts Guard 5/1
Two Tempting 15/2
Flight Plan 8/1
Tribal Rhythm 8/1
Alpha Circus 9/1
Mr Baloo 9/1
Bopedro 12/1
Mr Professor 22/1
Julia Augusta 33/1
Updated
4.35pm Trustatrader Handicap preview
Another tricky little Epsom handicap as the card draws towards a close. Two Tempting looked as good as ever when successful at Chester last time although he had the benefit of an ideal draw against the rail, while Tribal Rhythm notched a success over course and distance at the spring meeting back in April. David O’Meara’s MIRSKY, though, is probably the safest bet to follow up his win at Thirsk last month.
SELECTION: MIRSKY
Updated
4pm The Oaks result: Minnie is magic
1 Minnie Hauk (R L Moore) 9-2
2 Whirl (W M Lordan) 15-2
3 Desert Flower (W Buick) 11-10 Fav
9 ran
Updated
4pm The Oaks
And they’re off … Whirl is pushed forward into an early lead … with Minnie Hauk there too and the favourte Desert Flower is in fourth … Whirl is stretching them and is about three to four lengths clear … at Tattenham Corner Go Go Boots is at the back … they turn for home … Desert Flower is pushed along … Minnie Hauk takes the lead … Whirl fights back but Minnie Hauk holds on. It’s an Aidan O’Brien one-two!!
Minnie Hauk repels stablemate Whirl to land the @Betfred Oaks for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore! pic.twitter.com/SGV54AKYhq
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 6, 2025
Updated
4pm The Oaks betting
Desert Flower 11/8
Minnie Hauk 9/2
Giselle 8/1
Whirl 8/1
Revoir 11/1
Wemighttakedlongway 14/1
Elwateen 16/1
Qilin Queen 20/1
Go Go Boots 40/1
4pm The Oaks preview
A Classic that revolves around Desert Flower, the 1,000 Guineas winner, and whether her speed and class over a mile at Newmarket is backed up by enough stamina to get her home in an Oaks over an extra half-mile. If it is, she will be very tough to beat, but the easing of the ground to good-to-soft will not make life any easier and there are three decent trial winners and a couple of lightly-raced types with the potential to take a big step forward if she falters. MINNIE HAUK was a ready winner of the Cheshire Oaks and is the pick of Ryan Moore from three Aidan O’Brien-trained possibles, while Whirl was emphatic over 10 furlongs in the Musidora at York and Giselle could only beat what was in front of her in the Lingfield Oaks Trial. Elwateen, a runner for former champion trainer Saeed bin Suroor in the famous Shadwell colours of the late Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum, ran well to finish fourth in the Guineas and has a live chance if her stamina holds, while Ralph Beckett’s Revoir, a short-head behind Qilin Queen at Newbury in mid-May, is an interesting runner for the yard ahead of his two-pronged Derby challenge with Pride Of Arras and Stanhope Gardens tomorrow.
SELECTION: MINNIE HAUK
3.15pm Betfred Nifty 50 Handicap: Secret is the star
1 Ecureuil Secret (O J Orr) 28-1
2 Akecheta (A J Farragher) 17-2
3 Westerton (Hollie Doyle) 11-1
13 ran
Updated
3.15pm Betfred Nifty 50 Handicap
And they’re off … Mutaawid gets out fast and leads as they clumb up the hill in the early stages … Son Of Man is also prominent as they head to Tattenham Corner … Ecureuil Secret makes a challenge and kicks on … and this race is over as the leader scoots clear for an impressive win.
An IMPRESSIVE ride 👏
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 6, 2025
There was no catching Ecureuil Secret in the Betfred Nifty 50 Handicap 🥇#EpsomDerbyFestival | @OisinOrr | @RichardFahey pic.twitter.com/A7O0NIJyhD
Updated
3.15pm Betfred Nifty 50 Handicap betting
Botanical 3/1
Mutaawid 5/1
Defiance 11/2
Rathgar 15/2
Akecheta 10/1
Have Secret 11/1
Westerton 11/1
Ashariba 12/1
Warda Jamila 18/1
Ecureuil Secret 25/1
Son Of Man 25/1
Simply Sondheim 28/1
Flying Finn 40/1
3.15 Betfred Nifty 50 Handicap preview
Thirteen runners for this tightly-knit handicap and few, if any, that can be ruled out of the reckoning entirely. Mutaawid is an obvious starting point for many backers as he dismantled his field by six lengths at Newmarket last time, but he is up 10lb in the handicap as a result and Botanical, with Ryan Moore booked to ride, has emerged as a likely favourite. He has been running well in Listed events since finishing second off 107 in the ultra-competitive John Smith’s Cup at York last summer and still looks fairly weighted as he returns to handicap company on a 1lb higher mark. Plenty of others are worthy of consideration, though, including HAVE SECRET, a strong second in a competitive event at Ripon last time.
SELECTION: HAVE SECRET
Jan Brueghel claims the Coronation Cup (2.40pm)
1 Jan Brueghel (R L Moore) 10-3
2 Calandagan (M Barzalona) 8-13 Fav
3 Giavellotto (Oisin Murphy) 11-2
7 ran
Updated
2.40pm Coronation Cup
And they’re off … Continuous, the pacemaker, not surprisingly leads the race in the early stages and Calandagan, the hot favourite, is at the back … Ancient Wisdom is in second as they head for Tattenham Corner … they turn for home and Calandagan makes ground … the favourite is making ground but has Jan Brueghel to catch … and Jan Brueghel holds on in a duel to the line.
You shall not pass ❌
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 6, 2025
Jan Brueghel sees off Calandagan to win the Betfred Coronation Cup 🏆#EpsomDerbyFestival pic.twitter.com/SPFXiWm1PH
Updated
Norman’s Cay was dismounted on the track after injuring himself in the Woodcote Stakes. He was placed into the equine ambulance and taken to the racecourse stables “for further assessment”, but later had to be put down in a sad postscript to the race.
Updated
2.40pm Coronation Cup betting
Calandagan 8/11
Jan Brueghel 4/1
Giavellotto 6/1
Ancient Wisdom 12/1
You Got To Me 25/1
Bellum Justum 33/1
Continuous 80/1
2.40pm Coronation Cup preview
There are few more obvious Group One winners-in-waiting than Francis-Henri Graffard’s gelding CALANDAGAN, who scooted away with the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer by six lengths and has finished runner-up at the highest level on his next three starts. Things have simply not panned out for him in his two most recent outings – he had traffic problems in the Champion Stakes in October and was too far off a steady pace in the Sheema Classic at Meydan in March – and prior to that, simply came up against a very strong and superbly-ridden opponent in City Of Troy, in the International Stakes at York. Some punters may look for an alternative on the basis that finding one too good is starting to become a habit, and Giavellotto, who was five lengths adrift of Calandagan in the Sheema Classic, has a squeak on his Group One-winning form in Hong Kong in December, while Jan Brueghel, last year’s St Leger winner, also has claims as he steps back up in trip after surrendering his unbeaten record over 10 furlongs last time.
SELECTION: CALANDAGAN
2.05pm Woodcote Stakes: Maximised makes it two from two
1 Maximized (W Buick) 6-5 Fav
2 Havana Hurricane (Charles Bishop) 9-2
3 Raakeb (S M Levey) 14-1
9 ran
Non Runner: 8
Updated
2.05pm Woodcote Stakes
And they’re off … Havana Hurrican was slow out of the stalls … Logi Bear leads in the straight … Maximized takes up the lead late on and drives to the line for a winner for Godolphin. That looks a horse tailor-made for Royal Ascot if the trainer wants to take that option up. Charlie Appleby on Racing TV says it will be the Coventry Stakes if gong to the royal meeting but seems especially keen on the July Stakes at Newmarket next month.
£720,000 buy Maximized makes it two from two in the @Betfred @BritishEBF Woodcote Stakes for William Buick, Charlie Appleby and Godolphin @EpsomRacecourse pic.twitter.com/QkOkbdbiN6
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 6, 2025
Updated
2.05pm Woodcote Stakes betting
Maximised 6/4
Havana Hurricane 7/2
Logi Bear 9/2
Rising Empire 13/2
Normans Clay 11/1
Raakeb 20/1
Anaisa 50/1
Trinculo 50/1
Alfa Duplicate 250/1
2.05pm Woodcote Stakes preview
Five of the nine remaining runners - after the scratching of Too Darn Good – were winners last time out, including the current 6-4 favourite, Maximized, who was knocked down to Charlie Appleby’s Godolphin for £720k at a breeze-up sale – where horses gallop before going under the hammer – earlier this year. He repaid a small part of that outlay with a debut win at Haydock in May, but did not achieve anything more on the bare form than the second-favourite, HAVANA HURRICANE, who was picked up for a much more reasonable 9k gns (£9.5k) and showed a decent turn of foot to win at Goodwood first time up. Eve Johnson Houghton, his trainer, took this race with a very similar type in Bobsleigh two years ago and he is an interesting option to the favourite at around 11-4.
SELECTION: HAVANA HURRICANE
Updated
Formal eases to win in Surrey Stakes (1.30pm)
1 Formal (Oisin Murphy) 9-4 Jt Fav
2 Saqqara Sands (Rossa Ryan) 13-2
3 Diego Ventura (James Doyle) 9-4 Jt Fav
8 ran
Updated
1.30pm Surrey Stakes
And they’re off … Formal has been well backed late on … and that horse is prominent … but The Waco Kid just has the lead … they are going down the middle of the track. … Formal takes it up, quickens well clear and it’s all over … that was easy!
Formal (Dubawi x Veracious) is certainly bred to be good and lands Listed success in style in the Betfred Derby Festival opener for @oismurphy, @AndrewBalding2 and @CPStudOfficial @Nyetimber | @EpsomRacecourse pic.twitter.com/vOjfuF7HXr
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 6, 2025
Updated
1.30pm Surrey Stakes betting
Diego Ventura 9/4
Formal 3/1
Hallasan 9/2
Saqqara Sands 9/1
Rebels Gamble 9/1
The Waco Kid 18/1
Franciscos Piece 20/1
Glamis Road 30/1
1.30pm Surrey Stakes preview
Several of these three-year-olds have plenty of form in the book already for this relatively early stage of their careers, including likely favourite Diego Ventura, the winner of a Listed race at Longchamp last time. He has a 3lb penalty as a result, though, and could be vulnerable to a less exposed opponent. Formal and SAQQARA SANDS both fit the bill and Ralph Beckett’s filly in particular looks likely to make significant progress this term.
SELECTION: SAQQARA SANDS
2.40pm Coronation Cup preview
There are few more obvious Group One winners-in-waiting than Francis-Henri Graffard’s gelding CALANDAGAN, who scooted away with the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer by six lengths and has finished runner-up at the highest level on his next three starts. Things have simply not panned out for him in his two most recent outings – he had traffic problems in the Champion Stakes in October and was too far off a steady pace in the Sheema Classic at Meydan in March – and prior to that, simply came up against a very strong and superbly-ridden opponent in City Of Troy, in the International Stakes at York. Some punters may look for an alternative on the basis that finding one too good is starting to become a habit, and Giavellotto, who was five lengths adrift of Calandagan in the Sheema Classic, has a squeak on his Group One-winning form in Hong Kong in December, while Jan Brueghel, last year’s St Leger winner, also has claims as he steps back up in trip after surrendering his unbeaten record over 10 furlongs last time.
SELECTION: CALANDAGAN
2.05pm Woodcote Stakes preview
Five of the nine remaining runners - after the scratching of Too Darn Good – were winners last time out, including the current 6-4 favourite, Maximized, who was knocked down to Charlie Appleby’s Godolphin for £720k at a breeze-up sale – where horses gallop before going under the hammer – earlier this year. He repaid a small part of that outlay with a debut win at Haydock in May, but did not achieve anything more on the bare form than the second-favourite, HAVANA HURRICANE, who was picked up for a much more reasonable 9k gns (£9.5k) and showed a decent turn of foot to win at Goodwood first time up. Eve Johnson Houghton, his trainer, took this race with a very similar type in Bobsleigh two years ago and he is an interesting option to the favourite at around 11-4.
SELECTION: HAVANA HURRICANE
Updated
1.30pm Surrey Stakes preview
Several of these three-year-olds have plenty of form in the book already for this relatively early stage of their careers, including likely favourite Diego Ventura, the winner of a Listed race at Longchamp last time. He has a 3lb penalty as a result, though, and could be vulnerable to a less exposed opponent. Formal and SAQQARA SANDS both fit the bill and Ralph Beckett’s filly in particular looks likely to make significant progress this term.
SELECTION: SAQQARA SANDS
Harry Redknapp owns a horse or two and he’s made his way to the Downs.
The celebs are arriving at Epsom … and here are Gabby and Kenny Logan
Updated
We will be getting Greg Wood’s race-by-race guide throughout the morning but here’s a rundown of the action you will be able to see from Epsom this afternoon:
1.30pm Nyetimber Listed Surrey Stakes, 7f, 3yo
2.05pm Betfred British EBF Woodcote Stakes, 6f, 2yo
2.40pm Betfred (Group One) Coronation Cup, 1m4f, 4yo+
3.15pm Betfred Nifty 50 Handicap, 1m2f, 4yo+
4.00pm Betfred (Group One) Oaks, 1m4f, 3yo fillies
4.35pm Trustatrader Handicap, 1m½f, 4yo+
Epsom have gone with a little drum and bass in their promotional video for the Derby meeting but for getting down with the kids you can’t beat the UK Garage commentary special released a few years back …
It’s too darn bad if you fancy the Charles Hills-trained runner in the 2.05pm race today as it won’t be turning up. Here are your non-runners for Epsom this afternoon:
2.05pm Betfred British EBF Woodcote Stakes
8 Too Darn Good
4.35pm Trustatrader Handicap
10 Obelix
After a spring as dry as most people can remember suddenly this week people were talking about attritional scenes at Epsom and even suggesting the dreaded ‘heavy’ might be in the description for the Derby festival meeting with plenty of rain in some forecasts. There is more precipitation coming overnight and tomorrow so get your macs and brollies at the ready ( whisper it but clerk of the course Andrew Cooper says there is a “real possibility” of a soft-ground Derby on Saturday) but for today the official verdict is in and it’s Good to soft, good in places. After some rain this morning (1mm) it is forecast to clear to a brighter, breezy afternoon with temperatures in the mid to high teens.
"When ground is drying, there comes a point when you lose control of it - and this place dries very quickly."
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 6, 2025
Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper explains the decision to irrigate at Epsom on Tuesday and why he feels it was the right thing to do
Updated
Preamble
Good morning from Epsom racecourse on this first day of this year’s Derby meeting, where racing professionals and a scattering of early punters alike are staring anxiously at the skies and wondering how the ground will be riding for both Friday’s Oaks and the Derby itself in a little over 24 hours’ time.
There is plenty of blue sky above the track at present but there was rain earlier and it has already been one of the trickier run-ups to the Classic meeting in Andrew Cooper’s 30-year tenure as clerk of the course.
“I’ve never known such a prolonged dry period from March, April and through into May, so it’s been challenging,” Cooper told the draw ceremony in a local cinema on Wednesday. “It hasn’t been great for grass, it’s been constant irrigation just to get us to where we want to be.
“There was 3.5mm of rain on Tuesday, which was forecast, but it’s very localised and Sandown [eight miles away] didn’t get any at all. It’s unsettled for sure, and in terms of the volume of rain on a race day, when you’re racing over the ground, it really doesn’t take a lot to start shifting things quite quickly.”
The Jockey Club’s live update page for Epsom was reporting a total of 4.8mm since midnight at 9.30am today, and 11.4mm over the previous seven days. As a result, the going at Epsom is now good to soft, good in places, having been good all over two days ago, though as yet there is little impact on the Oaks betting, where Desert Flower, the 1,000 Guineas winner, remains a solid favourite at around 6-4 despite the nagging doubts about whether she will see out the 12-furlong trip.
Whirl, one of three runners from the Aidan O’Brien yard, is a drifter this morning, however, out to 6-1 from around 9-2 overnight, while Minnie Hauk, the mount of O’Brien’s No 1, Ryan Moore, is a solid second-favourite at around 5-1.
The main supporting race on the Classic card is the Coronation Cup at 2.40pm, for older horses over the full Derby and Oaks trip, and the very likeable Calandagan, who has finished either first or second on his last eight starts, will be favourite here to get an overdue first Group One win on the board. You can read my full preview of today’s TV races here.
The card is under way at 1.30pm with the Surrey Stakes over seven furlongs, and all the news and results from Oaks day will be here on the blog within seconds as the afternoon’s action unfolds.
