Johnny Murtagh is an Irish flat racing trainer and former jockey from Bohermeen, near Navan, Kells, County Meath. As a jockey he won many of the major flat races in Europe, including all the Irish Classics, all the Group 1 Races at Royal Ascot, The Derby, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and Europe's biggest race the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was also Irish flat racing Champion Jockey five times. As a trainer, based at stables near Kildare, he has saddled a winner at Royal Ascot and an Irish Classic winner.
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards, about 1½ miles, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late May or early June. It is the second-oldest of the five Classic races, after the St Leger. Officially the Betfred Oaks, it is also popularly known as simply The Oaks. It has increasingly come to be referred to as the Epsom Oaks in both the UK and overseas countries, although 'Epsom' is not part of the official title of the race.)
The Yorkshire Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 188 yards, and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.
The Ribblesdale Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards, and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.
The Irish 1,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile, and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.
The Pretty Polly Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June or early July.
Aidan Patrick O'Brien is an Irish horse racing trainer. Since 1996, he has been the private trainer at Ballydoyle Stables near Rosegreen in County Tipperary for John Magnier and his Coolmore Stud associates. He is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest horse racing trainers of all time.
Alexandrova is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning The Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks in 2006.
The Park Express Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) at the Curragh in March.
The Blue Wind Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years. It is run over a distance of 1 mile 2 furlongs and 84 yards (2,284 metres) at Naas in May.
Peeping Fawn is a Champion Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. Unraced as a two-year-old, it took her four tries to break her maiden at age three. Her form then rapidly improved, reflected by a third-place finish in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and a second in The Oaks, followed by four consecutive Group One wins – the Pretty Polly, Irish Oaks, Nassau and Yorkshire Oaks. She was named the Cartier Champion Three-year-old Filly of 2007.
The Snow Fairy Fillies' Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 1 furlong, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late August or early September.
Colm O'Donoghue is a multiple Group 1 and Classic winning flat jockey. For most of his career, he was based at the Ballydoyle racing stables in Rosegreen, Cashel, County Tipperary.
The Goffs Million is a flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at the Curragh and scheduled to take place each year in September. Originally, the Goffs Million was a race series run between 2006 and 2009. It was reintroduced in 2022 as a single race to promote the following week's sales.
The Rathbride Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 1 furlong (1,811 metres) at the Curragh in July.
Light Shift was an American-bred, British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning the 2007 Epsom Oaks. In a racing career which lasted from June 2006 to October 2007 the filly ran nine times and won four races. After winning once as a two-year-old, Light Shift won the Cheshire Oaks on her second appearance as a three-year-old. She then won the Classic Oaks over one and a half miles at Epsom, beating the Irish filly Peeping Fawn. Light Shift never won another race, being beaten by Peeping Fawn in the Irish Oaks and the Nassau Stakes and finishing unplaced in the Prix de l'Opéra.
Seventh Heaven is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. She showed little promise as a two-year-old and was well beaten in maiden races at Leopardstown and Newmarket. As a three-year-old she showed improved form as she was moved up in distance, winning a maiden at Dundalk and the Lingfield Oaks Trial at Lingfield. She ran poorly in The Oaks but then emerged as a top-class performer with wins over strong fields in the Irish Oaks and the Yorkshire Oaks.
Moonstone is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for her win in the Irish Oaks. Unraced as a two-year-old, her six-race track career lasted from April to October 2008. After finishing second in a maiden race on her debut she ran fourth in the Musidora Stakes and second in The Oaks before recording her first and only victory in the Irish Oaks. She finished unplaced in two subsequent races and was retired from racing at the end of the year. As a broodmare she has produced several good winners including US Army Ranger.
Masaka was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She was one of the best fillies of her generation in Europe in 1947 when she won three races including the Queen Mary Stakes and the July Stakes. In the following year she became increasingly temperamental and refused to start on more than one occasion but did show top class form over middle distances, winning the Epsom Oaks and the Irish Oaks.
Snowfall was a Japanese-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2021 Epsom Oaks, Irish Oaks, and Yorkshire Oaks. She showed promising but unremarkable form as a two-year-old in 2020, winning one minor race from seven starts. The following year she improved dramatically, winning the Group 3 Musidora Stakes and then taking the Epsom Oaks by a record margin of sixteen lengths. She went on to win emphatic victories in the Irish Oaks and the Yorkshire Oaks over older horses.
