Minnie Hauk completes Oaks double for O'Brien & Moore Minnie Hauk provided Aidan O'Brien with an eighth Juddmonte Irish Oaks success, following-up on her win in the Epsom equivalent. Widely expected to make it four wins from five starts, the Frankel bay was sent to post the clear 2/11 favourite under Ryan Moore. In front early on before soon dropping back to third, the 117-rated victor was pushed along to challenge on the outer with over two-furlongs to go. While it took her long than expected to reel-in Wemightakedlongway, she edged to the front with 150 yards to go and stamp her authority on proceedings from there, coming home a length-and-a-quarter to the good. The aforementioned Wemightakedlongway (7/2) had to settle for second under Dylan Browne McMonagle for Joseph O'Brien, while Island Hopping (20/1), a stablemate of the winner, was another two-and-a-half lengths back in third. "She wasn't doing a whole lot. I just had to wake her up to get past Dylan (on Wemightakedlongway), a little bit like at the Oaks at Epsom," Moore, who was winning this race for a fourth time, reflected. "She'd be quite deceptive, she's a good filly. She's become more professional and at least we've learned a little bit more about her today. "There is probably no doubt that it was a weak running of an Oaks. I'm happy with her and I'm sure she is going to go on to better things as well. "When I asked her she switched her lead and went and done it. At Chester at the start of the year she only won by a length, she just timed herself. When she got to the front at Epsom, she went asleep on me again. We are learning about her and she'll be better than this. When asked if she could be up to the level of Magical or Found, he added: "They were very good fillies but she could be, there is no doubt. She has the pedigree to go on." O'Brien added: "We thought we'd be sitting second and Dylan got the second position so Ryan had to make a decision, he was either going to sit second on Dylan's inside, in behind Wayne, or pull back out of it in a way that he wouldn't have been boxed in. "Obviously that's a decision Ryan had to make quickly and it was the right decision. "It wasn't over-fast. We knew Joseph's filly was a good filly and Dylan gave her a very good ride. "Ryan was very happy. He was out so he could go whenever he wanted. You couldn't be happier. "She's one of those fillies that you're probably never going to see the best of her until the tempo is very strong and very high. She cruises through her races. "The boss (John Magnier) asked Ryan where to go with her and he said to go to the Yorkshire Oaks. The boss said 'what about if we give her a break and train her for the Vermeille and give her a French Arc prep?'. "All those things are open and we'll see how she is. "I think she can do either of those things but if she's going to the French trial she'd have to have a couple of easy weeks. "Obviously if she's going to York she wouldn’t have those couple of easy weeks. "She had a very easy race today, I'd say. The tempo wasn't very strong so she should come out of it well. "I'd imagine in the next week or that we'll have a fair idea but they are her two options. "Looking at her she'd probably love York. She has a big stride and it's a Flat track too. Obviously the boss will decide with Derek and Michael." O'Brien and Moore were completing a treble on the day, having earlier claimed the opener with New Zealand and the Railway Stakes with True Love. Additional reporting by Gary Carson
