MUSICAL MAESTRO Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Dar Re Mi hit the right note to dethrone Epsom queen and red-hot favourite Sariska in yesterday’s Darley Yorkshire Oaks.
Michael Bell’s filly was chasing her third Oaks success of the season in the ladies’ day highlight, but she came unstuck tackling older opposition for the first time.
Sariska kicked off her winning spree when landing the Musidora on the Knavesmire in May, and went on to nail Midday at Epsom before her facile victory in heavy ground at the Curragh.
Bell had been concerned about the prospect of fast ground at York, but overnight watering by clerk of the course William Derby and a couple of heavy showers before racing allayed his fears.
The dual Classic winner started as the 4 to 11 favourite under Jamie Spencer, who tracked Dar Re Mi through from the rear.
Jimmy Fortune drove the 11 to 2 winner into the lead around a furlong from home and Sariska was always fighting a losing battle from that point.
Spencer urged the filly along but she found the four-year-old too powerful and tenaciously finished three-quarters of a length adrift in second.
The jockey commented: “We got beat, she wasn’t fast enough on the day, no excuses.
“You come here, you do your best, but she ran into a good horse.”
Brian Meehan is dreaming of Classic glory after Lady Of The Desert turned in a hugely impressive performance to land the Jaguar Cars Lowther Stakes.
The daughter of Rahy came into the race with a big reputation after strolling to success in the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot last month and was sent off the 13 to 8 favourite to follow up with another Group-race victory.
Always prominent in the hands of Martin Dwyer, the filly showed a fantastic change of gear to put the race to bed in a matter of strides, eventually just having to be kept up to her work to beat Beyond Desire by three lengths.
William Hill were suitably impressed by what was a breathtaking performance and slashed her to 10 to 1 from 25s for next year’s 1,000 Guineas.
Another filly who looks likely to go on to better things is the John Oxx-trained Tanoura, who came out on top in a thrilling finish to the European Breeders’ Fund Galtres Stakes.
Mick Kinane had to get busy on the 3 to 1 chance early in the straight but the daughter of Dalakhani kept responding to his urgings and got the better of favourite Leocorno by half a length.
Kinane said: “She’s still lightly-raced and it has been very bad ground at home so we decided to come here for the faster surface.
“She’s a tough filly and there should be more to come. She’s at least capable of winning a Group Three and she’ll have no problem staying a bit further.”
