Warm Heart edges out Free Wind in pulsating Yorkshire Oaks
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Warm Heart toughed it out to take the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks for Aidan O'Brien in a thrilling finish from Free Wind.
The James Doyle-ridden 9-1 winner was the second string for Ballydoyle, with her Irish Oaks-winning stablemate Savethelastdance the 100-30 favourite under Ryan Moore.
The latter made the running, as Warm Heart travelled patiently in mid-division, eventually making her move around the final bend and smoothly gaining all the way up the home straight.
John and Thady Gosden's Free Wind had to wait for a gap before going with her and the two battled all the way to the line, with Warm Heart just getting the verdict by a head from Frankie Dettori's mount. Savethelastdance was another two lengths back in third.
O'Brien said: "She's a very good filly who won very well in Ascot (Ribblesdale Stakes) and then the last day (fifth to Savethelastdance at the Curragh) she just got back in a slowly-run race and it was hard to make up ground.
"She loves fast ground and she's a very slick filly. I think she's probably made for the Filly And Mare Turf (at the Breeders' Cup). She's a nice size to her and she's strong and has tactical speed as well.
"She could go straight there or she could run on Irish Champions Weekend or Arc weekend, but she likes nice ground and maybe we shouldn't overface her.
"It's possible (she could stay in training next year). The lads do keep horses in training as four-year-olds including fillies, so I'd say they'll definitely think about it at the end of the year. She's progressing from run to run."
Of Savethelastdance, he added: "Ryan wanted an even pace for his filly as she stays well. When the ground gets slow it helps her as it makes it tougher for the others, but she still ran a great race.
"We were worried about the ground for her today. She always runs her race, but she's better on soft ground. Whereas most horses struggle, she improves.
"She definitely could be an Arc filly, as on softish ground she grows another leg. She has the choice of the St Leger or the Arc. If she ran in the St Leger the Arc comes up two weeks after that, so it's a little bit tight and she'd probably have to do one or the other.
"We'll probably give her an easy time now and see. We always felt she could be a filly for the Arc, especially if the ground got soft."
Dettori rues having to sit and suffer
Frankie Dettori was denied a Group One Knavesmire double by the narrowest of margins, as Free Wind just failed to reel in Warm Heart.
Just 24 hours on from his heroics aboard Mostahdaf in the Juddmonte International, Dettori was beaten a head by James Doyle on the Aidan O'Brien-trained apparent second-string.
A multiple winner at Group Two level, John and Thady Gosden's Free Wind was aiming to break her Group One duck at the first attempt and just came up short.
Dettori said: "She's run a super race. I couldn't get out when I wanted to so I had to wait an extra half a furlong. That meant James had all the momentum.
"I got to him but I just wish I'd been able to get my filly rolling beforehand, that 9lb (weight for age concession) just took its toll in the end.
"I just think the pocket I got stuck in cost me."
John Gosden said: "She ran great but it just took her a little time to get out and that meant the winner got first run on us.
"That's life, but she ran a super race and I'm really happy with her.
"We'll see what comes next, but Champions Day would be an obvious target for her."
Bluestocking, who finished fourth, and who had run so well in the Irish Oaks, did not quite reproduce that form and her trainer Ralph Beckett put that down to the faster ground.
"She's just not quite as effective on that quicker ground as she is on slower ground, that's all it is," said Beckett.
"She's run her race, she's run well and she's run through the line but she's just not quite as good on quicker ground.
"Come the autumn I'd like to think there will be a few nice targets for her."
Rossa Ryan said of the filly: "She's run a blinder, but she's probably more effective on the softer ground where she can use her turn of foot better."
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