Thundering On crushed the competition at Epsom, giving Joseph O'Brien his first victory in the Epsom Oaks

The daughter of Frankel produced a massive performance in the Classic for fillies, coming from the back of the pack to clearly defeat Legacy Link and confirm that she belongs to the elite of her generation

EPSOM DOWNS, England (Special to Turf Diario).– Great fillies usually announce themselves with performances capable of leaving the public speechless. And that was exactly what Thundering On did this Friday at Epsom Downs, where she deployed a devastating stretch run to capture the Betfred Oaks (G1) and open a new chapter in the O'Brienfamily's extraordinary history of success.

In an edition that appeared particularly wide open on paper, the representative of Shapoor Mistry, bred by her owner and trained by Joseph O'Brien, ended up settling the classic with an authority that few imagined.

Ridden with absolute confidence by Dylan Browne McMonagle, the daughter of Frankel and the remembered Thundering Nights (Night of Thunder) —winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes (G1)— raced in last place for a good part of the journey. While the usual struggle for positions developed up front, the Irish jockey remained motionless, waiting for the exact moment to launch his partner.

And when the decisive straight arrived, it all became a matter of seconds. Advancing on the outside with astonishing ease, Thundering On began to devour ground without McMonagle even having to urge her. At the final furlong, she caught up with the pundits' favorite, Legacy Link (Dubawi), and once she received the order to accelerate, she simply disappeared from the scene.

The final margin of 3 3/4 lengths over the Juddmonte representative accurately reflected the superiority displayed by the winner. Much further back, another six lengths behind, Sugar Island (Dubawi) arrived third, while the favorite Amelia Earhart (Camelot), one of Ballydoyle's main cards, could only manage to finish sixth.

For Joseph O'Brien, the victory had a particularly special flavor. The trainer, who as a jockey was never able to win the Oaks, has now achieved his first success in the Epsom Classic from the conditioning side.

"The big question mark was the distance," the trainer admitted. "We knew she had an immense amount of talent, but her dam never went beyond 2000 meters. We decided to race her patiently, save energy on the climb, and wait for the straight. When she found room, she responded in an impressive way."

O'Brien also highlighted the work of his rider: "Dylan had tremendous confidence throughout the entire journey. He is a world-class jockey and we are delighted to have him on our team. Winning races like this is a dream for everyone."

At just 23 years of age, Browne McMonagle added the first English Classic of his career and did so with a performance worthy of the grandest stages: "It was all very easy from start to finish," he explained. "She traveled comfortably at all times and when the moment came to ask her, she simply accelerated. I knew she was going to pull away because she was full of energy. She wasn't stopping at the wire and still had plenty of power afterward."

The jockey went even further when defining the filly: "She is an extraordinary filly. She improves with every outing and I feel she still has a lot to offer. The sky is the limit for her."

The phrase seems fitting for a filly who not only gave Joseph O'Brien one of the most important triumphs of his career as a trainer but also immediately positioned herself among the great European figures of the season.

With the Irish Oaks (G1) and the Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) now appearing on the horizon, Thundering On made it clear that her adventure is just beginning. And if she runs again the way she did at Epsom, she will be very difficult to stop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpZGYumGN1M