An overwhelming finishing burst carried Red Lark, a daughter of Epaulette, to a stunning victory in the G1 Del Mar Oaks in California on Saturday, 22 August.
The Irish-bred filly becomes Epaulette’s 14th Stakes winner and his first northern-hemisphere G1 titleholder.
Red Lark’s success at the top level came only four starts after breaking her maiden status in her second US start at Santa Anita in February.
Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke and trained by Paddy Gallagher, the filly came from midfield in the nine-furlong turf event to power her way to a one length win over California Kook with Warren’s Showtime in third place.
While the win was largely unheralded, it followed a second against older opposition in G3 company at Santa Anita in June.
Red Lark began her career in Ireland where she was bred by Mrs S M Rogers and Sir Thomas Pilkington and trained by Johnny Murtagh. She is raced by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.
The filly is out of the Stakes-winning Darshaan mare Firecrest and is one of her dam’s 13 foals, all of which made it to the races, 11 of them registering wins.
She joins the South African champion Soqrat as Epaulette’s second G1 winner.
Epaulette is standing the 2020 breeding season at Kelvinside at a service fee of $22,000.
