Soul Sister sparkles in Oaks Success

Soul Sister came from last to first in the Betfred Oaks field to win give Frankie Dettori a Group 1 double at Epsom.

Now a seven-time winner of the Fillies’ Classic, Dettori kept it simple on the Musidora winner, cruising around the outside of the field and kicking clear with a quarter of a mile to run. The winning distance was one and three-quarter lengths back to pre-race favourite Savethelastdance.

The race went completely to plan for Dettori and Soul Sister; but the same couldn’t be said for Gosden’s other runner, Running Lion. The daughter of Roaring Lion kicked out the back of her stall and temporarily got loose, meaning she had to be withdrawn.

In winning the race Soul Sister provided her owner-breeder Lady Bamford with a second win in the Classic, 14 years after Sariska gave her the first in 2009.

Speaking to the press after the race trainer John Gosden commented: “She had a funny old draw and Frankie saw early on he was going to be stacked three, four wide so he dropped her back virtually to last so she had to have the class to come down the outside and pass the whole field, which she did.

“In the straight my only feeling was she was coming there nicely but I had no idea if she would stay, the family have not got a mile and a half, so I was naturally concerned she wouldn’t stay – she showed a lot of speed in the Musidora – but she’s come and done it extremely well and showed a great attitude.”