Ralph Beckett seals Investec Oaks with Talent – Horseracing News
Trainer Ralph Beckett enjoyed a very good day at Epsom, as he secured a one-two finish in the Investec Oaks (Group 1) with his trainees Talent and Secret Gesture dominating the proceedings in the event.
The former of the two was simply superb, as she did not allow her rivals to pressurise her at all. She proved to be the surprise of the day, as the bookies had granted her a starting price of 20 to 1. There were some better runners
up against her, but she delivered the best run of her career until now.
Despite being held up in the opening stages of the race, Talent quickened up to gain positions over her opponents. Her stamina was amazing, as she simply stormed to the finish line after getting the lead inside the final furlong.
The margin of her victory was almost four lengths, which would have caught the attention of everyone witnessing the competition.
After the race, Beckett was extremely pleased and claimed that he too did not predict such a terrific result overall. He added, “It doesn't happen does it! I never expected to win one Oaks so to finish first and second is an extraordinary
day.”
Looking at Talent’s dominance, the winning trainer said, “She is tough. I wasn't watching her until she loomed up on the outside. He (Richard Hughes) put her in the race and she started tanking then.”
Before the start of the race, everyone was expecting Secret Gesture to bring a victory for her trainer. However, the young filly simply lacked the speed compared to her stable mate and had to settle for the runner up spot in the
end.
The three-year-old challenger was priced 3 to 1 for the race and she was in control of the proceedings for quite some time. She was the one, who took the lead inside the final furlong initially, but was shocked by the winner towards
the end.
On the other hand, Moth proved to be the biggest disappointment of the day, as she finished outside the top-three. The softer ground did not suit her at all, so she ended up fourth overall. This would not have pleased the bookies
and the punters, as the three-year-old filly started as the favourite to succeed.
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