Dermot Weld’s Betfred Oaks Winner Ezeliya Retires After Setback
Dermot Weld’s Betfred Oaks winner Ezeliya has been retired without running another race after suffering a setback in training. The daughter of Dubawi won at Epsom on just her fourth racecourse start, but she did not get the chance to add to that tally before retiring to join the Aga Khan Stud broodmare band.
The filly, who won over £350,000 in prize money after winning three of her four starts, with her only defeat coming on debut in a Leopardstown maiden, is described by Weld as “one of the best fillies I have trained” and having “the potential to be a highly successful broodmare.”
“It is a pity to have to retire such a talented filly so early in her career but it would have been a challenge to prepare her for another race in the Autumn. Her wellbeing is the paramount concern for His Highness and Princess Zahra and she will make a wonderful addition to the broodmare band.”
- Pat Downes, manager of the Aga Khan Studs in Ireland
Ezeliya’s Betfred Oaks Victory
Ezeliya’s victory in the Betfred Oaks was not without some controversy, as the race was not considered the strongest in recent years, with the winners of most of the main trials in the field, but a couple of more impressive contenders, such as Diamond Rain and Friendly Soul, were missing. However, Ezeliya’s performance, with the way she went through the race and put things to bed when asked, was seen as a positive sign, and she was likely to prove a good winner of the classic, able to hold her own against males later in the campaign.
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