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[dropcap]F[/dropcap]orever Together’s superb four and a half length victory in the Investec Oaks was a seventh in the fillies’ mile and a half Classic for trainer Aidan O’Brien. Ridden by O’Brien’s son Donnacha, who won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket aboard Investec Derby favourite Saxon Warrior last month, Forever Together was sent off at odds of 7/1. Wild Illusion, the 5/2 favourite, finished second.

The 19-year-old was celebrating his second British Classic success, following his victory on Saxon Warrior in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, and was visibly delighted following the race.

Aidan O’Brien first won the £500,000 Group One with Shahtoush in 1998. Since then, Imagine (2001), Alexandrova (2006), Was (2012), Qualify (2015) and Minding (2016) have been added to the roll of honour.

Forever Together is a daughter of Galileo out of the Theatrical mare Green Room, also dam of Group One winner Lord Shanakill. She is the first maiden to win the Investec Oaks since Sun Princess in 1983.

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]’Brien said: “Forever Together is a staying filly who gets the trip very well and is obviously by Galileo, which is a massive advantage. Donnacha gave her an unbelievable ride. I am over the moon. It went according enough to plan. We weren’t sure about the ground – who would act on it and who wouldn’t. Donnacha rides her in all her work and he was very happy with her after Chester [she finished second in the Cheshire Oaks]. She was still a maiden until today, but the ground was so bad [in

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Ireland this spring] we couldn’t stand it, so we skipped the maidens and she ran a lovely race at Chester. I think we will go to the Irish Oaks now.”

[box size=”large”]”When you are riding one of his (father Aidan’s horses), you have a chance. It does not matter what it is. He is an absolute genius and is able to do things with these horses that I don’t understand. He just tweaks little things and brings out massive improvement. I don’t know how he does it but am trying to learn as much as I can,” [/box] said the jockey.

Wild Illusion, the three-year-old daughter of Dubawi, trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, travelled well into contention in the home straight but could not match the finishing kick of the impressive winner.

Wayne Lordan, on 8/1 chance and third Bye Bye Baby, said: “She bowled away. She likes to bowl away and I was happy for her to do so. But she just wasn’t good enough on the day.”

Ryan Moore, on fourth Magic Wand (4/1), said: “She ran a very good race, but she didn’t enjoy the ground.”

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