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The Yorkshire Oaks run at York on Thursday is an interesting race in that it is open to the mares as well.
The last two winners would go on to quinella the Arc in 2018. Are there any great girls in the 2019 Yorkshire Oaks (2385m) at York on Thursday?
2019 YORKSHIRE OAKS - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Yorkshire Oaks is a Group 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for fillies and mares at York conducted by the York Racecourse.
The Yorkshire Oaks is run over the mile and a half. It was first run in 1849 and was won by Ellen Middleton.
The race was originally run as a three year old fillies race but was to include mares in 1991. It became a Group 1 when the new grading occurred in 1971.
Fillies have taken the last five runnings.
The Yorkshire Oaks is run on the second day of the Ebor Festival at York.
Two horses have multiple wins – Only Royale and Islington. The first of Islington's was as a filly.
Horses like Alexandrova and Enable won the Oaks treble of Epsom, Irish and Yorkshire.
Enable won this as her final run before taking the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe in 2017. Sea Of Class missed by a head of taking the same double but ironically it was Enable that stopped her.
The leading jockey is Fred Archer who won eight times over a 12 year period in the late 1800s.
Mathew Dawson and Sir Michael Stoute both have nine victories in the Oaks.
The Yorkshire Oaks is worth £425,000 in 2019.
Notable winners of the Yorkshire Oaks include Sea Of Class (2018), Enable (2017), Tapesty (2014), The Fugue (2013), Blue Bunting (2011), Midday (2010), Dar Re Mi (2009), Alexandrova (2006), Islington (2002/2003), Petrushka (2000), Only Royale (1993/1994), Lupe (1970), Petite Etoile (1959), Winkipop (1910), Wheel Of Fortune (1879), Jannette (1878) and Virago (1854).
The 2018 Yorkshire Oaks was won by Sea Of Class from Coronet and Eziyra.
