The Fillies’ Triple Crown consists of the 1,000 Guineas, Oaks and St. Leger and, since World War II, has been won by just two fillies, Meld in 1955 and Oh So Sharp in 1985. Owned by Sheikh Mohammed, in whose famous maroon and white silks she raced, and trained by Henry Cecil, Oh So Sharp was hailed by jockey Steve Cauthen as ‘the best filly I rode’.
Having made a winning reappearance in the Nell Gwyn Stakes, Oh So Sharp was sent off 2/1 favourite ffor what turned out to be an epic renewal of the 1,000 Guineas. On the descent into the Dip on the Rowley Mile, victory looked unlikely but, galvanised in the closing stages, Oh So Sharp joined, and passed, leaders Bella Colora and Al Bahatri in the shadow of the post to win by a short head.
By contrast, the Oaks proved to be a much more straightfoward affair. Sent off 6/4 favourite on her favoured soft going, Oh So Sharp tackled the leader, Triptych, inside the final quarter-of-a-mile and displayed an impressive turn of foot to draw clear in the closing stages and win, comfortably, by six lengths. Cauthen later said, ‘She just raced for fun on ground that suited her.’
Oh So Sharp was subequently beaten, albeit not far, at odds-on in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup at York. Nevertheless, she was sent off 8/11 favourite for the St. Leger at Doncaster and, although only workman-like, managed to hold on to beat Phardante and Lanfranco by three-quarters of a length and a head.