The last classic contest of the year at Øvrevoll, the Erik O. Steen Norsk Oaks, ended in a dominant win for the Annike Bye Hansen-trained Mauna Queen, who in the hands of Elione Chaves pulled more than six lengths clear of Cathrine Erichsen’s A Million Dreams.
Mauna Queen (Inns Of Court) was third from the start behind the leader Supernova Bling (Starspangledbanner), who set the pace down the back straight and opened up three or four lengths on those nearest.
The Swedish Oaks winner was still in front at the entrance to the straight, where Carlos Lopez took her right out to the rails. Behind her Supernova Bling initially had Soledar (Evasive), but while all the other jockeys were hard at work on their horses, Elione Chaves was still sitting motionless on Mauna Queen.
Only just after the crossing did Chaves finally ask his horse for her effort, and that was checkmate.
The Danish-bred A Million Dreams (Moohaajim) finished off to take a comfortable second place, almost 12 lengths ahead of Supernova Bling, while Patience (Frankel) and Soledar took the last of the prize money.
Mauna Queen had been backed as third favourite in the contest behind Supernova Bling and Patience, and she took only her second career win from 10 starts – after recording no fewer than six second places on different surfaces and over different trips this season, it should be noted.
For Annike Bye Hansen it was the first Oaks triumph of her training career at Øvrevoll.
Mauna Queen is owned by the Norwegian Roar Hoel’s Stall RH, and she was bought for €9,000 at last year’s Tattersalls Ireland Breeze Up Sale at Fairyhouse through Walter Buick.
The filly is out of the winning Mount Nelson daughter Two For Tea and a half-sister to the Bluebell Stakes (L) and Finale Stakes (L) runner-up Galileo Dame (Galileo Gold), who has since also been second in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle (Gr.1) at Leopardstown.
The immediate family also includes the Ribblesdale Stakes (Gr.2) winner Port Fairy, the Ballysax Stakes (Gr.3) winner Piz Badile, the Gimcrack Stakes (Gr.2) winner Threat and the Prix Hocquart (Gr.2) winner L’Astronome, while further out in the female family one finds names such as the Oaks Stakes (Gr.1) winner Light Shift, the Juddmonte International Stakes (Gr.1) and Eclipse Stakes (Gr.1) winner Ulysses, plus the Prix Ganay (Gr.1) winner Cloth Of Stars.
Sunday at Øvrevoll offered several other well-endowed contests.
In Øvrevoll Hesteeierforenings Vandrepokal over 1370 metres, Jan-Erik Neuroth’s Charlie Nosto (Mutajally) won by three lengths from Zelda (Hurricane Red) and Hardanger Ofcourse (Mutajally). Nora Hagelund Holm was in the saddle on the winner.
Then Silja Støren’s Corazon De Leon (Slade Power) followed up by taking the first prize of NOK 91,000 in the Norsk Galopp Sprintløp ahead of Hunter’s Lullaby (Footstepsinthesand) and Youonlyliveonce (Sidestep). Here Mathilde Dupuy rode the winning horse.
Later Anna Pilroth went to the top in Major Chr. F. Michelets Minneløp over 2830 metres with the Tobias Hellgren-trained Redirect (Prince Of Lir), who defied the top weight of 65 kilos and gave the pairing of Pilroth and Hellgren their second win in a row in this contest. Last year they won with Ajas (No Risk At All).
Finally Cathrine Erichsen rounded off Sunday with a double in the Fearnleyløpet over 1800 metres for the Norwegian-bred horses, when the 3-year-old Big Chance (Sporting Chance) with Oliver Wilson in the irons beat his stablemate Purple Ace (Born To Sea) with Lorenzo Putzulu.
It was the sixth year in a row that Cathrine Erichsen won the Fearnleyløpet. In 2020 she saddled Hampus G (Mutajally) to victory, followed by three years of dominance with Purple Ace, before Leo Boy (Appel Au Maitre) achieved the feat last year.
