Aidan O’Brien praises Ryan Moore as magical jockey targets a Classic double at Epsom after winning the oaks with Minnie Hauk

• Ryan Moore is riding in a magical zone that makes you think of peak De Bruyne
• Moore is targeting a Classic double after winning the Oaks with Minnie Hauk

By DOMINIC KING

They had been here before, many times over. This was another Group One, pushing them closer to the magical figure of 150 as a partnership.

Aidan O’Brien had just seen Ryan Moore deliver Minnie Hauk to a thrilling victory in the Oaks, edging out her stablemate Whirl in a driving finish. O’Brien’s reaction, however, had a different tone.

‘Thank you,’ O’Brien said to his jockey. ‘You made it happen.’

It was no over embellishment. Moore might have been riding a filly that, according to O’Brien, had made ‘abnormal improvement’ since she her warm-up win at Chester last month, but he still needed all his wizardry to get her head in front when it mattered.

Moore is riding in a magical zone that makes you think of peak Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City. It was a wonderful display, coming hot on the heels of a mighty ride on Jan Brueghel in the Coronation Cup.

Ryan Moore is riding in a magical zone that makes you think of peak De Bruyne at Man City

Ryan Moore and Minnie Hauk earned thrilling victory in the Oaks, edging out stablemate Whirl 

Ryan Moore is targeting a Classic double at Epsom after winning the Oaks with Minnie Hauk

‘He is a great fella, no ego at all,’ said O’Brien. ‘He’s incredible, really. He can carry horses and he carried them over the line in the last furlong. The filly is very classy and she will be comfortable in all the top races.’

Given the way O’Brien spoke, you immediately started to think Minnie Hauk will be a huge player in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. ‘We won’t look too far ahead,’ said O’Brien, with a relieved puff of the cheeks. ‘Let’s just make sure we wake up in the morning.’

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Aidan O’Brien praises Ryan Moore as magical jockey targets a Classic double at Epsom after winning the oaks with Minnie Hauk

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