Star Not For Catching In Irish Oaks

Racing Online - Horse Racing News - Ireland Horse Racing News - Star Not For Catching In Irish Oaks

has produced another front-running masterclass aboard to record a fifth win this century in the at the .

Dettori was able to dictate the pace virtually from the outset Star Catcher who is trained by and owned by Anthony Oppenheimer.

Quickening three furlongs (600m) out, Star Catcher (7-2) held a healthy until the Aidan O'Brien-trained Fleeting put in a strong late effort.

The winner of the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal , Star Catcher pulled out more to win by half a length with Pink Dogwood, also from the O'Brien stable, 4-1/2 lengths third.

“I think Frankie was aware his filly showed her best in the last furlong of the Ribblesdale Stakes and he was determined not to see a falsely run race,” Gosden said.

“He's gone out there, set his own fractions, and quickened off the bend. With a tailwind in the straight, but a headwind in front all the way down the back.

“That's Frankie, you leave him alone when he has a plan and he can go to Plan B usually quite quickly.

“He has the courage to do that, which comes from years of experience and having a clock in your head.

“She's a lovely filly and she's really done well since . It just seemed an obvious thing to come here. This is a Classic, it's a Group One and it's the Irish Oaks.”

Star Catcher's win was Dettori's eighth at Group One level since May

“The vibes at home were good. John is a great trainer and he had a good feeling about her,” he said.

“Once Seamie (Heffernan) on the obvious front-runner (Peach Tree) couldn't make the front I thought, ‘I'm going to make my own way home'.

“Then it was a matter of getting the fractions right and having a tailwind in the straight helps a front-runner and that was the case.”

Leave A Comment