Estrange keeps Arc hopes afloat with Yorkshire Oaks run

The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe dream remains alive for connections of Estrange after she chased home Minnie Hauk in the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks.

David O’Meara’s grey had looked every inch a top-class filly in winning four of her first five starts, most recently striking Group Two gold in last month’s Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

Despite ground concerns, Estrange was given the go-ahead to step up to Group One level for the first time on the Knavesmire and her supporters must have been getting excited as she cruised menacingly into contention under Danny Tudhope early in the home straight.

She was ultimately no match for the Epsom and Irish Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk, to whom she was conceding 9lb, but there still appears to be every chance she could become Cheveley Park Stud’s first runner in Europe’s premier middle-distance contest on October 5.

“She ran a cracker on ground that maybe wasn’t quite ideal for her – she likes a bit softer. She was giving the winner 9lb and has finished second in a Group One to upgrade her CV, so we’re delighted,” said Cheveley Park director Richard Thompson.

“Two furlongs out, I’ve got to say, for a couple of seconds I thought ‘we could do this’. But you soon realised Minnie Hauk had too much and the 9lb was too much.

“The bottom line is it was a very good performance and we’re delighted to get second in a Group One.”

On a possible tilt at the Arc, for which Paddy Power make her a 33-1 shot, Thompson added: “The dream is not dead, of course it’s not, and if the ground came up right you’ve got to consider it because you don’t get many shots at the Arc.

“We’ll have to sit down and have a think about it, see how the ground looks and how she comes out of this race and take it from there because you’ve got other options for her, but the Arc is a dream of course as we’ve never had a runner in it and we’d love to have runner, who wouldn’t?

“You’ve got the fillies and mares race at Ascot on Champions Day two weeks later, so you’d have to see how the field was shaping up for the Arc and everything else. Ascot would be a good option for her as the ground should come all right for her there, it normally does.”

O’Meara was similarly delighted with the performance of Estrange and is looking forward to campaigning her at Group One level, wherever that may be.

He said: “Take nothing away from Minnie Hauk as she was tough today and she was tough at the Curragh – it’s what she does best. But we’re delighted with our filly, I think she’s run a very good race and we’re very proud of her.

“I was starting to get a little bit excited when Danny loomed up. She’s a lot of class, how she can move up so easy in a race – it’s a great asset.

“I’ll speak to connections and see what they’d like to do. We had this race in mind for a long time, for a while it was looking in doubt with the way the weather was and the ground was, but we’ve taken a chance and based on how she’s ran I think we were justified in doing so.

“I wouldn’t rule out the Arc, why not (have a go)? The only two older fillies that have won this race in recent years have both won Arc – Enable and Alpinista.

“Our filly has run a very good race today on ground that I think isn’t her optimum and she deserves her spot in Group One company.”