Dancing Rain and Murtagh win Oaks Dancing Rain benefited from a brilliant front-running ride by Johnny Murtagh to take the glory in the Investec Oaks at Epsom. The William Haggas-trained 20-1 chance was soon dictating affairs in the mile-and-a-half contest and began to turn the screw early in the straight. Kieren Fallon sat second on the strongly-fancied Wonder Of Wonders throughout but try as she might, she was unable to get past the determined front-runner. Wonder Of Wonders stayed on to fill the runner-up spot, beaten three-quarters of a length, while Izzi Top edged out favourite and 1000 Guineas heroine Blue Bunting for third. In what was a slowly-run affair, those who were ridden with restraint failed to get involved. Blue Bunting was settled in the middle of the pack for much of the contest but was unable to pick up sufficiently to trouble the leaders. The previously unbeaten Zain Al Boldan did her chances no favours by failing to settle, while Havant, strongly fancied to build on her sixth-placed finish in the 2000 Guineas, was a never-nearer 10th. Murtagh said: "I spoke to William and I said I think I'll make the running. "I watched the videos of her races and she seems to travel very well and is uncomplicated. "We set a nice pace but she was ducking and diving, so I knew there was loads left in the tank. "I picked her up in the last half-mile and it worked really well for her. "I knew Group Ones were going to be hard to come by this year. "William rang me up for the ride and I was delighted to take it. You need to be in the big races and you need to be on a good one." Haggas added: "Johnny was clever, but she stays and we didn't make enough use of her last time, but that was a learning process. She's done it well today. "I'm thrilled to bits. Maureen (Haggas' wife) broke her leg off this filly coming out of the stalls, but the filly has rewarded her anyway." Mrs Haggas, the daughter of legendary jockey Lester Piggott, is sporting a cast on the leg she broke giving Dancing Rain a stalls prep. She said: "It was just one of those silly accidents, It wasn't her fault, but unfortunately I broke my fibula so having ridden her all winter, I haven't been able to ride her all week. "It's been extremely frustrating, but one of the other girls in the yard, Rosie, has ridden and she has done a brilliant job. It's been a big team effort. "I always thought she would stay and come round the track as she is so beautifully balanced. She got beaten at Newbury but she probably should have won. "I thought she would improve for a trip and it looked such an open race. In a normal year on what she'd done so far you might not have run, but we thought we may as well have a go." Frankie Dettori was called in by the stewards for dropping his hands on Blue Bunting having seemingly had third place sewn up inside the final furlong. He was handed a 10-day suspension (June 17-26 inclusive) which means he will miss the final two days of Royal Ascot, most notably the ride on Delegator in Golden Jubilee Stakes. He will also sit out the following week, including the Irish Derby meeting.
