Dermot Weld secured his latest classic success at Epsom on Friday as Ezeliya ran out a smooth winner of the Betfred Oaks.
It bridged a 43-year gap for the world-renowned Curragh trainer who first hit the classic bullseye with the Lester Piggott-ridden Blue Wind in the 1981 Oaks.
A subsequent stellar career that has seen Weld become a transformative figure in international racing got its latest top-flight instalment as Chris Hayes guided the 13/2 shot to a three-length defeat of Dance Sequence with War Chimes at 50/1 in third.
Aidan O’Brien’s Ylang Ylang started an 11/8 favourite but after racing last in the early stages could never land a blow and ultimately finished sixth.
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It was a third Epsom classic for Weld after Harzand’s 2016 Derby triumph under the late Pat Smullen and a 25th English and Irish classic in all for the 75-year-old maestro who remains the sole European trainer to land a leg of the US Triple Crown.
That was with Go And Go in 1990 Belmont Stakes, three years prior to Vintage Crop’s milestone Melbourne Cup success.
It’s a rare breadth of career that corresponds to the lengthy influence of Ezeliya’s owner, the Aga Khan, whose most famous runner, Shergar, landed the Derby at Epsom just three days prior to Blue Wind’s Oaks victory.
“That’s my 25th English or Irish classic and classic races are the pinnacle, that’s what you do it for. You can have all the sprinters you like but give me a classic any day of the week, that’s what you’ll be remembered for,” Weld said.
Having long since made an indelible mark on the sport, Weld didn’t rule out a potential classic double bid on home turf in July’s Irish Oaks with a filly that lived up in style to her billing as “a stayer with speed”.
Ezeliya was also handed 14/1 quotes to finally provide her trainer with an elusive success in October’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
It was a first English classic for Hayes who finished runner-up in the 2019 Derby at Epsom on Madhmoon for Kevin Prendergast. He and Weld have become a formidable combination with four Curragh classics already in the bag.
“She’s a queen. Very professional, strong travelling filly, she’s gorgeous, a real pretty, delicate filly to look at,” said the 36-year-old jockey.
“I just wanted to keep momentum on her and angle her out at the top of the straight; at the turn she just leant onto the right again to go forward. I knew she’d stay, I knew she’d the class,” he added.
Ezeliya also provided the top stallion Dubawi with a first Epsom classic success. He had had 15 previous Oaks and Derby runners that failed to collect.
Ylang Ylang was very disappointing for the Ballydoyle team that had earlier scored with Luxembourg in the Coronation Cup.
Moore made most of the running on the five-year-old who picked up a Group One prize for a fourth season in a row.
“He’s been a very consistent horse his whole life and has now been a Group One winner at two, three, four and five. Not many horses can do that,” Moore said.
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