Yorkshire Oaks Stakes 2025 Preview & Tips: Minnie Hauk Set for Coronation at York

The Yorkshire Oaks is always one of the jewels of the Ebor Festival and the 2025 renewal looks a strong one, with a dual Classic winner bidding to add another top-level success to her CV on the Knavesmire. Billy Grimshaw has run the rule over the field and believes there’s one filly who simply sets the standard.

Last season Warm Heart struck for Aidan O’Brien before going on to add an American Grade 1 to her résumé and underline her star quality. The Ballydoyle maestro rarely leaves York empty-handed and this year he relies primarily on MINNIE HAUK, a filly who has swept all before her since the spring. She kicked off her campaign in the Cheshire Oaks where she made mincemeat of her rivals, before striding to glory at Epsom in the Oaks and then backing it up in the Irish equivalent. It is never an easy task to do the double on either side of the Irish Sea but she did it with a touch of authority, suggesting she is the best of her generation at a mile and a half.

The way she travelled through the Epsom Oaks and then knuckled down when challenged gave the impression there is still more to come. The Knavesmire’s long straight will suit her, and with her ability to settle and then quicken, she really does look the one they all have to beat. There is always a danger in assuming a Classic winner will just roll on through the summer – plenty have come unstuck at this very meeting – but she sets such a strong standard that the others will need career-best performances to topple her.

The most credible danger on form is Estrange, who has been one of the season’s big improvers under David O’Meara. She announced herself with a determined success in the Lancashire Oaks and followed that up with another fluent victory last month. She’s tough, she stays, and she brings a different profile to the table as a four-year-old who has only just found her stride. That bit of extra maturity can often count for plenty against younger rivals, and if she can sit handy and pounce late, she might just stretch Minnie Hauk further than anything has managed so far. The niggle is whether her level is quite high enough to bridge the gap with a filly already proven at the very top, but she has certainly earned her shot.

Aidan O’Brien also fields Garden Of Eden, who has yet to fully click into gear this season and may well be in here to ensure a proper gallop for her stablemate. That said, stranger things have happened in this race and sometimes a pacemaker can cling on for a place if the principals overdo it early.

Another filly of note is Qilin Queen, who comes over from France having landed a Group 2 in good style last month. She is lightly raced and has always shaped as though a stamina test at this trip would suit her, so there could be more to come. Whether she has the raw pace and class to live with Minnie Hauk when the taps are turned on is another question, but she adds an interesting dimension for each-way players looking beyond the obvious names.

Tactically, the race is likely to be run at a decent clip with Garden Of Eden expected to ensure there is no hanging around. That should suit Minnie Hauk, who settles well enough to take a lead and then use her turn of foot when Moore asks. Estrange might be ridden a touch closer to the pace in an attempt to pressurise the favourite early in the straight, while Qilin Queen could be one played late if things get messy up front.

When weighing it all up, I keep coming back to Minnie Hauk. She has answered every question asked of her so far, she is thriving for her racing, and York looks tailor-made for her. Estrange is an admirable filly who will make her work harder than perhaps she has had to so far this summer, and Qilin Queen has the scope to sneak into the frame, but barring accidents this looks another stepping stone for the Ballydoyle star. The Yorkshire Oaks has a habit of crowning great fillies and it would be no surprise if Minnie Hauk joins that illustrious roll of honour on Thursday afternoon.