Frankie Dettori steers Snowfall through rain to pulverise rivals in Oaks

Snowfall stunned her Oaks rivals as she triumphed by a distance in the Epsom Classic. Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Frankie Dettori, the winner was travelling supremely well with two furlongs to run and when her irrepressible rider gave the signal, she simply sprinted away to the line and won by 16 lengths, a record for the race.

Mystery Angel, who was up front throughout, kept on for second, with the winner’s stablemate Divinely third.

“She went through like a hot knife through butter,” Dettori told ITV Racing after winning his sixth Oaks. “I was afraid of Santa Barbara coming from behind but when I saw some daylight she kicked on.”

O’Brien said: “We thought she was very good last year. She got a bit stronger over the winter and was helped by the extra distance. She won the Musidora [Stakes at York] impressively and when the ground gets like that you can get extreme distances.”

Sent off at 11-2, Snowfall had the race won before the furlong marker and crossed the line a record 16 lengths clear of the George Boughey-trained 50-1 chance Mystery Angel in second place.

Divinely (20-1), also trained by O’Brien, was a further length and three-quarters way in third, with Save A Forest (40-1) fourth and the O’Brien-trained 5-2 favourite Santa Barbara only fifth.

Mystery Angel was well away and stayed in the front rank throughout the race. Sherbet Lemon was alongside her in the early stages with La Joconde, Willow, Dubai Fountain and Saffron Beach on their heels.

The field moved over the stands side after turning Tattenham Corner, with Dettori able to steer a clear passage for Snowfall.

Hitting the front two furlongs out, the daughter of Deep Impact continued to put daylight between herself and her rivals to become one of the easiest Oaks winners ever seen.