Talent upsets Secret Gesture as Beckett yard dominates Oaks

Talent storms ahead of her better-regarded stablemate Secret Gesture (Courtesy of Epsom via Facebook)

Ralph Beckett, who trained Look Here to upset the 2008 Oaks, made no secret
of his belief that he had a massive chance of winning another in Friday’s
renewal of the fillies’ classic at Epsom. Although Beckett was proven correct,
it was his lesser-fancied entrant, 20-1 Talent, who stunned his prime contender,
Secret Gesture, in a one-two result for the yard.

“Having the first two doesn’t happen, does it,” Beckett commented.

“It means everything. I’m not Aidan O’Brien, and I’d probably only have two
runners in classics in a year.”

As a daughter of New Approach, Talent could be the opening act of a
magnificent Epsom double for her red-hot young sire, whose son Dawn Approach is
heavily favored to stay unbeaten in Saturday’s Derby.

Talent was also emulating her third dam, Bireme, heroine of the 1980 Oaks.

Secret Gesture had vaulted to the head of the antepost market after her romp
in the Lingfield Oaks Trial. She was eclipsed for Oaks favoritism just prior to
the race, with late money coming in for the Aidan O’Brien-trained Moth at 5-2.
Talent, meanwhile, came in as an under-the-radar type, despite her smart victory
in the May 5 Pretty Polly at Newmarket.

Jockey Richard Hughes picked up the spare ride on the Oaks winner (Courtesy of Epsom via Facebook)

Beckett commented on the homework that turned out to be a misleading
indicator.

“One thing I would say is I genuinely feel sorry for Jim (Crowley),” the
trainer offered. “He had the choice of rides, but how could he have picked the
winner? He couldn’t pick her on homework.

“Richard came and sat on her on Friday when she worked on the grass and I
knew from his face when he pulled up that he was thinking, ‘Oh, no – this isn’t
going to happen.’ But Richard got the breaks today and that might have made the
difference.”

Talent was simply saving herself for the racecourse, and when it counted, she
outshone her vaunted stablemate.

Dropped to the back of the pack early, Talent was some way behind the
front-running Miss You Too. Secret Gesture, who broke from the rail, was settled
closer to the pace. Liber Nauticus and Moth were biding their time in midpack.

In the straight, Secret Gesture was in a pocket briefly, but Crowley was able
to thread the needle. The 3-1 second choice sliced between the weakening Miss
You Too and the advancing Liber Nauticus. Finding a better turn of foot than
Liber Nauticus, Secret Gesture skipped clear. A danger soon emerged in the shape
of The Lark, who followed an inside path herself. The Lark did not sustain her
run, however, and Secret Gesture was still in control.

Talent had been busy getting herself organized wider out on the course.
Suddenly kicking into overdrive, she hung left across Epsom’s camber while
building up irresistible momentum, and blew by Secret Gesture in a few strides.

Talent is a great-granddaughter of 1980 Oaks heroine Bireme (Courtesy of Epsom via Facebook)

“I said to him turning for home, ‘can you believe how well I am going?’ I
thought that I would win five furlongs out, she was going that well.”

Beckett had a different reaction watching the race unfold.

“I looked at her (Talent) when they were at the top of the hill and thought,
‘she can’t win from there,'” the trainer said. “I stopped watching her, and was
just willing Jim (on Secret Gesture) to get out from his position on the rail
because he was going to have horses coming back on top of him.

“I wasn’t watching her (Talent) until she suddenly loomed up on the outside.
He just put her in the race and she got keen and started tanking then.”

Secret Gesture’s connections believe that her rail post proved costly.

“I think the last horse to win from stall 1,” Beckett recalled, “was Bireme
(Talent’s great-granddam). How ironic is that?

“Secret Gesture was never going to have much help from stall 1 and Jim had to
get her out smartly — he didn’t have much choice on that front.

“Jim had to spend a lot of time trying to maneuver his filly out rather than
getting her into a rhythm.”