Oasis Dream Wins Middle Park; Elusive City Third

Khalid Abdullah's homebred Oasis Dream, sent off at 6-1, pulled away to a 1 1/2-length victory in the Shadwell Stud Middle Park Stakes (Eng-I) Thursday afternoon at Newmarket. The Thoroughbred Corp.'s Elusive City, the 6-4 favorite in the six-furlong race for 2-year-olds, finished third. Tomahawk, a son of Seattle Slew, was second. Oasis Dream's time of 1:09.61 establishes a new course mark.

Oasis Dream, by Green Desert out of the Dancing Brave mare Hope, is trained by John Gosden. Oasis Dream tracked the pacesetting Irrawaddy while in third position, responded when called upon, and grabbed the lead in the final furlong. Tomahawk loomed up on the outside under Mick Kinane, but found the winner staying on too strongly up the hill.

Oasis Dream came into the Middle Park off a maiden victory at Nottingham.

Tomahawk, owned by Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor and trained by Aidan O'Brien, is out of the Pancho Villa mare Statuette.

Previously unbeaten Elusive City tracked the winner under Kieren Fallon but couldn't go with him when the pace really quickened two furlongs out. The Gerard Butler-trained colt stayed on well near the line to claim an honorable third, just a neck behind the runner-up.

Country Reel (by Danzig), finished fourth under Frankie Dettori.

Jimmy Fortune, who rode the winner in Richard Hughes's absence, said afterwards: "I think he's a very good horse."