3 minute read
Minding could stay in training next season after showing the boys a clean pair of heels to notch another Group One triumph in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.
On the go all year, Aidan O'Brien's brilliant filly already had the 1000 Guineas, Oaks and Nassau Stakes in the bag and had run well in the Irish Champion Stakes behind Almanzor and Found.
Dropped back to a mile for the first time since her surprise reverse in the Irish Guineas, she was not inconvenienced in the slightest, travelling strongly throughout for Ryan Moore.
Jet Setting led the group on the near side with Galileo Gold racing keenly behind her, while on the far side Barchan, making the pace for Ribchester, was giving the perfect lead to Minding with Ribchester behind her.
Approaching the final furlong Moore kicked clear and gained a decisive two-length advantage, which his mount needed in the end as several closed her down.
Ribchester made good late gains to close to within half a length of the 7-4 favourite, with a further length back to Lightning Spear.
Minding is the first of her sex to win the race since Milligram in 1987 and few can have been as tough as the daughter of Galileo, having danced every dance in Group One races over distances ranging from a mile to a mile and a half.
In addition, she was winning her seventh top-level contest in an incredible career and it was O'Brien's 21st Group One of the season on the Flat in pursuit of the late Bobby Frankel's record of 25.
O'Brien said: "It's unbelievable, she's an incredible filly.
"The last day she worked, Seamus (Heffernan) got off her and we couldn't believe it. It's a big team effort, as you can imagine.
"I can't say how delighted I am for everybody but she's an incredible filly - a mile, a mile and a half then bring her back to a mile in an all-aged Group One against the boys, they have to be special to do those things.
"The plan was to come here and try and win and maybe the lads will now bring her back to race again next year. They'll sit down and talk about that now but hopefully she can race again.
"I'd imagine that would be it for this year and the lads have talked about bringing her back next year, hopefully.
"To stay a mile and a half and then do that over a mile, they have to be very special.
"I can't say enough about her. I'd imagine that would be it now for her for the rest of the year."
O'Brien added: "We were always happy enough but we were a bit concerned we might have to make the running.
"She got left in the lead a little bit earlier than he wanted and ideally we'd have taken a bit more of a lead into the race.
"To beat the colts is unbelievable."
Co-owner Michael Tabor said: "She's just a super special filly, it's absolute euphoria. Aidan has kept her going all year which is an incredible piece of training.
"To keep her going from winning the Guineas to winning all the races in between is something special."
The statistic about Moore never having won a race on Britain's richest raceday in its five-year existence can also finally be put to bed.
Moore said: "Really delighted with her today. She's had a hard season and to bring her back to a mile is some achievement really.
"She was too good for them, too strong. She has lots of pace and masses of talent."
Ribchester's trainer Richard Fahey was gracious in defeat.
He said: "He wasn't unlucky but he maybe just over-raced a little bit in the early stages of the race.
"As I always say, he is a horse with a very high cruising speed and they couldn't go quick enough for him early on.
"We are really happy with the run. He came back at Minding at the end of the race there but I am a huge admirer of the winner, she is a wonderful filly and we can be proud of how our horse has run.
"That was his last run of the season, he's finished now."
David Simcock said of the third: "I'm delighted with that, it was a career best.
"He quickened well to make the ground up and probably in hindsight he'd have been better racing on the other side, but I'm very proud."
Galileo Gold's jockey Frankie Dettori said of the 2000 Guineas winner, who was fifth: "I feel like the horse needs a break. From three out I knew I was going to finish well back.
"Normally he travels like a good horse and picks up, but today he gave me the sign of a horse that needs a break.
"He was tired."