Minnie Hauk completes English-Irish Oaks double Saturday

Minnie Hauk, the Group 1 Oaks winner at Epsom last month, was bet down to 1-9 favoritism in the American pool for Saturday's Group 1 Irish Oaks at The Curragh. Though Wemightakedlongway, the the only horse who had ever beaten her, made her work for it, Minnie Hauk edged clear to oblige and become a double Oaks winner, the 16th horse to sweep the English-Irish Oaks double.

Though Minnie Hauk was keen in the opening stages and briefly disputed the early lead, it was her stablemate in the Aidan O'Brien barn, Island Hopping, who galloped to the early lead after the opening furlong. Wemightakedlongway, the only horse in the field other than Minnie Hauk who has run in the English Oaks, tracked in second, with Minnie Hauk settled in third under jockey Ryan Moore.

Approaching the three-furlong mark, Minnie Hauk began to gain under Ryan Moore. Though Wemightakedlongway reeled in Island Hopping near the quarter pole, briefly wresting the lead, she was not home free. Minnie Hauk loomed, ready to make it a race.

After a brief battle, Minnie Hauk just proved too good. Inside the final furlong Minnie Hauk took the lead and edged away, crossing the finish 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Wemightakedlongway. Island Hopping held for show another 2 1/2 lengths back. Butterfly Wings, Merrily, Subsonic and Bay Colony completed the order of finish.

Minnie Hauk completed the 1 1/2 miles over turf rated good, good to yielding in places, in 2:33.62. She paid her backers in the American pari-mutuel pool $2.20 to win.

Minnie Hauk is a 3-year-old daughter of Frankel out of the Dansili mare Multilingual. She has a career record of 5: 4-1-0, with wins in both the English Oaks and Irish Oaks. Her only defeat, which came on debut in a maiden race last October at Cork, came behind Wemightakedlongway, who she has since beaten in both her Group 1 wins.

According to a post on X by Ireland broadcaster RTÉ Sport, O'Brien is considering for Minnie Hauk to return in either the Yorkshire Oaks (G1) on Aug 21 at York or a race in France.

Minnie Hauk is the eighth Irish Oaks winner trained by O'Brien. She is the third from his barn to sweep the English-Irish Oaks double, after Alexandrova (2006) and Snowfall (2021).