A field of seven lines up the Irish Oaks. No visitors this year. None needed. This could be a high-class home affair.

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Aidan O’Brien runs four with Group 1 Epsom Oaks heroine, Minnie Hauk, under Ryan Moore, the 1/6 favourite. She will look to become the 16th filly to complete the Epsom Oaks/ Irish Oaks double; the last to do it was Snowfall in 2021.

Twice raced as a juvenile, she was beaten first time out and then won.

Reintroduced this year in the Cheshire Oaks at Chester over 1m3½f, she won easily. At Epsom, in the Oaks, in a battle down the home straight, she had the measure of Whirl, both having pulled clear of the favourite, the 1000 Guineas winner Desert Flower. Whirl then franked the form when winning the G1 Pretty Polly next time out.

The other Ballydoyle runners are Butterfly Wings with Ronan Whelan aboard, Merrily with Declan McDonagh on top, and Island Hopping, the mount of Wayne Lordan. This should ensure an even pace; however, none have exhibited the form required to win this.

Joseph O’Brien sends Wemightakedlongway up from Owning Hill with Dylan Browne McGonagle in the plate. She met Minnie Hauk in a Maiden at Cork last year over 1m, she beat her comfortably. It was her second run, Minnie Hauk’s debut, and experience proved crucial.

This year, she began her campaign in the G3 Ballysax at Leopardstown over 1m2f. Taking on the colts, when in need of the run, she was beaten 5¼L by Delacroix, the subsequent Eclipse winner, and only 3L by Lambourn, the subsequent dual Derby winner.

She then went to Navan, over the same trip, in the G3 Salsabil Stakes, she won, getting the better of Paddy Twomey’s Catalina Delcarpio.

At Epsom, she ran fourth to Minnie Hauk, running on, she was beaten 5¼L, just behind Desert Flower.

She wasn’t given a break.

She went to the Curragh to contest the G1 Pretty Polly over 1m2f. Outpaced 4f out, she kept on well to finish fourth, beaten 3¼L by Whirl.

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Johnny Murtagh’s Subsonic, with Ben Coen doing the steering, is not without hope.

She only had the one run as a juvenile; it was a good one. She came from last, getting up for second, only going down a ½L in the Maiden Minnie Hawk won last October at Leopardstown.

This year, in her only other run, a Maiden at Naas in April over 1m2½f, she couldn’t justify favourtism, disappointing, finishing sixth, beaten 7½L. In her defence, she didn’t get a clear run, and Ben was easy on her when her chance was gone.

Making up the field is Fozzy Stack’s Bay Colony, the mount of Seamie Heffernan.

She won a Maiden at Limerick in April over 1m4f. Stepped up to Listed level at Leopardstown over the same trip, she made no impression finishing seventh of nine, beaten 12L.

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After Epsom, Minnie Hauk holds the yellow jersey, Wemightakedlongway will look to wrestle it off her. She has one advantage over the favourite: track experience. Minnie Hauk has never raced at the Curragh. The step back up in trip will also benefit Wemightakedlongway. She’s a hardy girl. This will be her fifth run of the season, and in every run, she’s improved. The upward curve can continue.

No doubt the pace will be strong, but the pacemakers will empty, Ryan may well have to commit earlier in the straight than wished. If Dylan can lie up and conserve some energy, on a still improving filly, she could come late, she could get to her; however, beating her is another matter.

The doggedness Minnie Hauk displayed in battle at Epsom, if repeated here, is likely to see her prevail over Wemightakedlongway. If Subsonic can overcome her inexperience and leave the Naas run behind, she can fill the tricast.

It could be class. No visitors needed then.

Recommendation

Minnie Hauk, Wemightakedlongway, Subsonic (Straight Tricast)

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