by Tony Smurthwaite
Look Here made all eyes turn her way with an incredible surge to win the Juddmonte Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1) at Epsom on Friday and grab a first British classic success for her owner, trainer, and jockey.
Sent off an unconsidered 33-to-1 chance, the twice-raced Hernando (Fr) filly stormed home by 3 3/4 lengths under Britain’s co-champion jockey Seb Sanders, whose typically placid demeanor was broken as he punched the air on crossing the finish line.
Winning trainer Ralph Beckett, 36, was speechless in the moments after victory. Moonstone, at 25-to-1, finished second in the field of 16.
Look Here is the third classic runner for Beckett, a one-time assistant to former British champion Peter Walwyn who began training in 1999.
“I have a feeling of amazement,” said Beckett, a cousin of Juddmonte Farms racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe. Beckett trains at Whitsbury in Hampshire. “I’m delighted for Seb. Loyalty is his key word and that works for both of us.”
Sanders felt rich reward after having claimed to have “made a hash” of riding Look Here in the Totesport Oaks Trial on on May 10 at Lingfield, a race in which she finished second to Miracle Seeker.
“I found out a lot about her because of that mistake and I could have sat on her a lot longer today, but a horse appeared on her outside and I knew I would get home,” Sanders said. “She’s got a lovely turn of foot.”
Success was just as sweet for winning owner Julian Richmond-Watson, an owner-breeder for 38 years but more widely known as senior steward of the Jockey Club, which owns Epsom racecourse.
Richmond-Watson bred Look Here at his Lawn Stud in Northamptonshire. She is out of the Rainbow Quest mare Last Look, who has produced seven winners from as many starters.
“Ever since I left school, Epsom has been my favorite racecourse,” he said. “It’s only my second runner in a classic, and you know you are pitching at windmills. You dream of winning the mile-and-a-half classics. That’s what I breed for.”
Moonstone was best of Aidan O'Brien's six Irish-campaigned runners while another Irish challenger, Lush Lashes, went off the 5-to-2 favorite but finished fifth after failing to stay the 1 1/2-mile trip on turf rated as good.
Look Here’s winning time of 2:36.89 was just six-hundredths of a second slower than that posted by Coolmore’s Soldier of Fortune in the Juddmonte Coronation Cup (Eng-G1), one race earlier.
Ridden with panache by Johnny Murtagh to deny the French-trained favorite, Getaway, Soldier of Fortune was winning his second race at the top level after his victory last summer in the Budweiser Irish Derby (Ire-G1).
The four-year-old Galileo (Ire) colt may now head to the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Eng-G1) at Ascot in July.
Tony Smurthwaite, an England-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent, is a writer for Racing Post