Minding produced a superb performance to complete a Classic double with a brilliant victory in the Investec Oaks at Epsom.
The 1000 Guineas winner was narrowly beaten in the Irish equivalent less than a fortnight ago after banging her head upon leaving the stalls, but she showed no ill-effects from the incident with an ultimately decisive success.
Ryan Moore encountered serious trouble in running turning for home, but Minding soon picked up when seeing daylight before getting the better of Architecture to win by a length-and-three-quarters, with Harlequeen a further eight lengths back in third.
Aidan O’Brien was winning the Oaks for the sixth time and he was responsible for three of the nine runners, with Cheshire Oaks winner Somehow taking the field along at a decent gallop.
Moore settled Minding towards the rear, while Diamonds Pour Moi was an early casualty as she was pulled up around the halfway stage.
Architecture and the supplemented Skiffle moved onto the heels of Somehow at the top of the home straight as Moore was forced to take a pull on Minding.
Skiffle’s challenge petered out alarmingly quickly as Frankie Dettori hit the front inside the three-furlong marker on Architecture, but Minding had soon closed the gap.
Minding hit the front with a furlong to go and she dispelled any stamina doubts by staying on strongly to provide jockey Moore with his second Oaks triumph.
