The Irish Oaks at the Curragh was first run in 1895, 29 years after the inaugural Irish Derby, with Sapling winning the Classic.
Masaka, trained by Frank Butters in Britain, was the first filly to win both the English and Irish Oaks when successful in 1948. She was by Nearco out of Majideh, who herself was victorious in the Curragh Classic in 1942.
The next filly to capture both the mile and a half fillies’ Classics, at Epsom Downs and the Curragh, was another British raider, the Geoff Lewis-ridden and Noel Murless-trained Altesse Royale, in 1971. She defeated Maina by three lengths in England but the margin of victory was reduced to half a length by French raider Vincennes in Ireland. Noel Murless had previously sent out Celina, with Sandy Barclay up, to capture the Irish Oaks in 1968.
The Maurice Zilber-trained Dahlia was one of the best fillies to have ever won the Irish Oaks when successful in 1973. She triumphed over the Epsom Oaks heroine Mysterious, trained by Noel Murless, by three lengths - a result that seemed incredible at the time.
The French-trained filly loved to travel and also won races in England, Canada and the USA, including the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes twice, in 1973 (just 12 days after her Irish Oaks success) and 1974, and the Man O’War Stakes at Belmont Park in 1974.
Dahlia was not the first French-trained winner of the Irish Oaks as that honour went to Corejada, from Charles Semblat’s yard, successful in 1950. Corejada was the first French-trained horse to succeed in any Irish Classic.
Juliette Marny, trained in England by Jeremy Tree, became a dual Oaks winner in 1975, as she got the better of Tuscorora by a neck under a superb ride from Lester Piggott at the Curragh, as did Fair Salinia three seasons later for trainer Sir Michael Stoute.
Based in Newmarket, England, Stoute has won the Irish Oaks on five further occasions, making him the most successful current trainer in the Classic. He was also triumphant with Colorspin in 1986 and with H.H. Sheikh Mohammad’s Unite in 1987, who also won the Epsom Oaks. The same owner was in the unique position of having Melodist and English Oaks heroine Diminuendo dead-heat in a nail-biting finish to the 1988 renewal. Stoute also saddled Pure Grain (1995) and Petrushka (2000).
Johnny Murtagh was in the saddle on Petrushka when she was the impressive five and a half length winner from Godolphin’s Melikah and his four other successes in the Irish Oaks mean that he is the most successful current rider.
He partnered Ebadiyla when she stayed on well to defeat Yashmak by three lengths for trainer John Oxx in 1997 and the same partnership struck the following season with Winona, who was seven lengths too powerful for Kitza. In 2007 he rode Epsom Oaks runner-up Peeping Fawn to victory for Aidan O’Brien, while he partnered another Epsom runner-up, Moonstone, to victory in 2008 for the same trainer.
Local trainer Dermot Weld gained the first of his two Irish Oaks victories in 1981 with Blue Wind. She had earlier denied Madam Gay by seven lengths at Epsom, and then beat Condessa by two and a half lengths in Ireland. Weld’s second Curragh heroine was Dance Design in 1996.
During the 1990s, two fillies managed to complete the English/Irish Oaks double.
The Clive Brittain-trained User Friendly was ridden by George Duffield to defeat All At Sea by three and a half lengths at Epsom in 1992. The partnership then had to work harder in Ireland, keeping on well under pressure to foil Market Booster by a neck.
Henry Cecil also secured the big-race double with Ramruma in 1999. The daughter of Diesis won by three lengths in England and then more than doubled that winning margin at the Curragh, where she was eased close home to beat Sunspangled by seven lengths. Ramruma was Cecil’s third Irish Oaks winner - he had already been successful with Diminuendo (1988, dead-heat with Melodist) and Alydaress in 1989.
Jim Bolger, successful with Give Thanks in 1983, kept the Irish Oaks at home for the second time when sending out Margarula, owned by his wife Jackie and ridden by their son-in-law Kevin Manning, in 2002.
Lailani also won at Epsom and the Curragh. However, unlike the other fillies mentioned, she was successful in a handicap at the former venue in 2001, before making the successful transition to Group One company a month later when taking the Irish Oaks by a neck from stable companion Mot Juste for Newmarket-based trainer Ed Dunlop.
She went on to score in two more Group Ones that season, the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, England, and the Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park in the United States.
Lailani was partnered by Godolphin’s retained jockey Frankie Dettori and the popular Italian also rode Vintage Tipple to success for veteran trainer Paddy Mullins in 2003, leading well inside the final furlong to hold off L’Ancresse by a length and a half.
There was a second success in 2004 for Ed Dunlop with Ouija Board, who had also scored in the Epsom Classic. She ended the season in style by capturing the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf - a contest she also won in 2006 - and proved herself to be one of the toughest and classiest fillies by winning seven Group Ones.
The Alain de Royer-Dupre-trained Shawanda took the 2005 Irish Oaks in brilliant style to become the first French-trained winner since Wemyss Bight in 1993.
Alexandrova, trained by Aidan O’Brien, landed the Irish Oaks in 2006 after capturing the English Oaks the previous month. An easy six-length winner at Epsom, she sauntered to an effortless four-length success at the Curragh, before going on to take the Yorkshire Oaks in equally impressive fashion.
In 2007, the Epsom form was reversed in the Irish Oaks as the Aidan O’Brien-trained Peeping Fawn, runner-up to Light Shift in the English Oaks, emerged the three and a half length winner over her Epsom conqueror. Peeping Fawn, who had beaten her elders in the Pretty Polly Stakes between Epsom and the Curragh, went on to land the Nassau Stakes and the Yorkshire Oaks.
Moonstone’s victory in 2008 was Aidan O’Brien’s third consecutive success in the Irish Oaks and the Ballydoyle handler enjoyed a superb domestic campaign, becoming the first trainer for 73 years to win all five Irish Classics in the same season.
In 2009, Sariska became the 12th filly to complete the Epsom-Curragh Oaks double and there can have been few, if any, easier winners of the race. The Pivotal filly cruised through the contest and jockey Jamie Spencer still had her on a tight rein as she glided past toiling rivals to win by three lengths in what seemed to be little more than a canter.
Those trounced by the Michael Bell-trained filly included Oaks runner-up Midday who was over seven lengths away in third but went on to win the Nassau Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf that season.
A year later, the Ed Dunlop trained Snow Fairy continued the Epsom-Curragh Oaks double when storming home to an impressive eight length victory in the Irish Classic. The daughter of Intikhab quickly burst clear of her rivals when asked by Ryan Moore and powered into the lead over a furlong out. Godolphin’s Miss Jean Brodie stayed on resolutely to fill the runner-up position.