Islington Doubles Up in Aston Upthorpe Yorkshire Oaks

Islington, last year's highweighted 3-year-old filly in England from 9 1/2 to 11 furlongs and from 11 to 14 furlongs, won the Aston Upthorpe Yorkshire Oaks (Eng-I) for the second year in a row Wednesday afternoon at the Ebor-at-York meeting in England.

Ridden by Kieren Fallon for trainer Michael Stoute, Islington defeated the 3-year-old Ocean Silk by a length in the nearly 1 1/2-mile Oaks. A daughter of North America's second leading sire Dynaformer, Robert Sangster's Ocean Silk was 18-1. The 25-1 Summitville was third.

The final running time for the one mile, three furlongs, and 98 yards was 2:27.44. Islington was the 8-11 favorite in the eight-horse field.

Kept in mid-pack during the early running, Islington was positioned in third place as the field of fillies and mares entered the stretch. Fallon got her to the lead 2 1/2 furlongs from the wire and was hard-ridden in the final 330 yards.

William S. Farish's Casual Look, the winner of the Vodafone Epsom Oaks (Eng-I) in June finished seventh.

The Aston Upthorpe Oaks carried a total purse of $397,025. Islington took down $230,274 for the executors of the late Lord Weinstock. Islington was bred in Ireland by Ballymacoll Stud Farm Ltd.

By Sadler's Wells out of the Darshaan mare Hellenic, Islington has now won five of 12 starts and has earned more than $900,000. Last year, she captured the Yorkshire Oaks, as well as the Vodaphone Nassau Stakes (Eng-I) at Goodwood and the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (Eng-III) at York. She finished the year with a third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Arlington Park.

This year, she was third in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (Eng-I) at the Royal Ascot meeting in late June. In her start before the Yorkshire Oaks, Islington was sixth against a top field of males in the Coral Eclipse Stakes (Eng-I) at Sandown on July 5. The winner that day was Falbrav, who came back to win the Juddmonte International Stakes (Eng-I) at the Ebor meeting on Tuesday.