Racing: Kieren Fallon gave another Epsom masterclass as he brought home Alexandrova to a gloriously easy victory in the Vodafone Oaks.
Held up in the early stages, the Aidan O'Brien-trained 9-4 favourite scythed down her rivals in the home straight with a sweeping run down the outside and quickly went clear to win unchallenged.
The daughter of multiple champion sire Sadler's Wells romped home by six lengths from rags-to-riches runner-up Rising Cross (33-1), with Short Skirt (9-2) a length and quarter further back, snatching third from gallant 1000 Guineas heroine Speciosa.
Fallon, winning the Oaks for the fourth time, said: "I thought there would be a decent pace but they didn't go that quick and when that happens you can get left behind when they quicken from the front, but I got there sooner than I wanted.
"I only really wanted to try and get her into a challenging position so I eased her out but when she saw some daylight she just took off with me.
"She gave me a really good feel and galloped all the way to the line.
"She never travelled after that bump when coming out of stalls at York but she went round there as sweet as a nut and she made it easy for me."
Winning trainer O'Brien indicated the Irish Oaks would be the next stopping point for the successful filly but was not ruling out other options.
"Obviously there is the Irish Oaks but we always sit down and have a good talk after these races and we'll see, but she has enough speed for a mile and a quarter," he said.
Bought for 420,000 guineas as a yearling at the Tattersalls Sales in Newmarket in October 2004, Alexandrova's future will undoubtedly lie at the Coolmore stud empire in Ireland, for whom this victory by a daughter of Sadler's Wells provided yet another plaudit.
"Everyone knows that he is the best there has ever been and that we're not going to see his like again," said Coolmore supremo John Magnier, whose wife Sue is part-owner of the winner.
"At this stage of his career the mares he is covering are not so good and his fertility is dropping so he doesn't have the same chances as some of the younger horses but he's still the best for me."