Frankie Dettori wins Irish Oaks on Star Catcher

Frankie Dettori won the Irish Oaks for the fifth time as Star Catcher held off the challenge of Fleeting at the Curragh on Saturday.

The winner of the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot had been supplemented for the big race at a cost of 40,000 euros.

Star Catcher (7-2), trained by John Gosden, won by half a length from the Donnacha O'Brien-ridden Fleeting (9-2) with 5-2 favourite Pink Dogwood third.

Victory was Gosden's third success in the past eight runnings of the race.

It was a masterclass in front running from the 48-year-old Dettori on what was his 22nd wedding anniversary.

Dettori was able to dictate the pace virtually from the outset and the daughter of Sea of Stars held a healthy advantage until the Aidan O'Brien-trained Fleeting put in a strong late effort.

However, Star Catcher pulled out more to win with Pink Dogwood, also from the O'Brien stable, four and a half lengths back.

"She is a fabulous filly and it was a gorgeous ride from Frankie," said trainer Gosden.

"He knew from when she won the Ribblesdale her best furlong was the last furlong, and he was determined that it would not be a trot and sprint but a test of a mile and a half.

"He had the courage to do that and it comes from years of experience."

Cornelius Lysaght, BBC horse racing correspondent

Frankie Dettori is never more dangerous than when able to control a race from the front, and that's what he did here.

Though Star Catcher only had quite a narrow margin to spare over the second-placed Fleeting, she and Dettori were always holding on.

The Gosden team won this with the great Enable two years ago, and though this winner isn't in that league yet, she's clearly on the up, building nicely on her Royal Ascot win, also over Fleeting.