Minnie Hauk got the better of a thrilling tussle with stablemate Whirl to reward Ryan Moore's faith and provide trainer Aidan O'Brien with a one-two in the Oaks.
Whirl, an impressive winner of the Musidora Stakes at York, was sent straight into the lead by Wayne Lordan and set out to ensure a good gallop that would provide a thorough test for Charlie Appleby's 1000 Guineas winner, Desert Flower, who was stepping up half a mile in trip.
Desert Flower, the 11/10 favourite, was pushed along on the turn for home and never looked like landing a blow on Whirl or Minnie Hauk who settled down to battle it out inside the final couple of furlongs.
Whirl, who had been overlooked by Moore at Epsom despite the form of her Musidora win looking stronger than that of Minnie Hauk's Cheshire Oaks success, refused to lie down, but Minnie Hauk edged ahead close home to win by a neck as the 9/2 second favourite.
Whirl returned at 15/2, while O'Brien's other representative, Giselle, finished fifth at 13/2.
It took a bit of time for Minnie Hauk to assert, but Moore was impressed by how she travelled and feels like there should be even better to come.
He said: "She's still learning a bit, she didn't have much racing at two. Aidan had a lot of faith in her and said she'd come on a lot since Chester.
"She travelled round strong. The filly in front didn't quit at all. I picked her up quite easily but then I was a bit green in front and she just wanted to roll down the camber, but when the other filly came back she went on again. She's a talented filly and obviously stays very well.
"Her mind's good but she's still learning. I'm very happy with her and hopefully she'll build on this."
'She's a great traveller'
It was an eleventh win in the Oaks for O'Brien who first won the race with Shahtoush in 1998. He said: "I'm delighted with this filly. She's a very classy filly. She was just ready to run at Chester, barely made it, and she made abnormal improvement from Chester. It was all class rather than stamina or fitness, a lot of class started coming.
"Ryan gave her a beautiful ride, he loved her the last day and loved her again today. She's a very exciting filly.
Like Moore, O'Brien was taken by how well Minnie Hauk travelled in a race in which very few threatened to make an impact, and suggested she might be able to hold her own against the colts when the time comes for such a challenge.
He added: "She went to Chester and learned a lot but was green and is going to improve with racing. What you'd love about her is that she's a great traveller and has a lot of class. Ryan felt he was going very easily early today and usually that means she will be able step up a couple of grades into even higher class races."
Flower connections point to unconventional course
Desert Flower failed in her bid to the list of fillies to do the Guineas and Oaks double, a feat last achieved by Love in 2020, but Appleby is keen to have another crack at the trip.
He said: "It just looked like she got a bit unbalanced coming down the hill and hit a bit of a flat spot just at the point you don’t want to, but take nothing away from the first two as they just kept galloping.
"We all think she got it [the trip] and personally I’d like to see her in something like the Yorkshire Oaks, on a nice galloping track. We’ll give her a break now.
"Will [Buick] just thought she’d be more comfortable on a sounder surface than she got today. She won on slow ground in the Fillies’ Mile, but slow ground on a track like this might have been a consideration. Back on a more conventional track will hopefully be more her gig."
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