A LADIES DAY crowd on the Knavesmire was left as surprised as connections of Taghrooda as the unbeaten record of a filly that had looked little short of exceptional was ended by Tapestry in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks.

After her heroics in the Investec Oaks and the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, this latest Group One was expected to be little more than a warm-up for a probable challenge for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Halfway down the long home straight, everything appeared in hand with Paul Hanagan still to play his cards, but Taghrooda then found herself matched up against racing’s most irresistible combination of Ryan Moore and Aidan O’Brien, with Tapestry (8-1) wearing down the 1-5 favourite and winning by half a length.

Overnight rain eased the conditions slightly to good from Wednesday’s good to firm, but Taghrooda’s first defeat in five starts had been handed out by a rival who is said by her trainer to demand quick conditions.

Tapestry had her own back story, and while her secondplace to stablemate Bracelet in the Irish Oaks made good reading purely on paper, O’Brien knew it should really have been another first.

He said: “It didn’t go right in the 1000 Guineas but there was a glimmer in the Coronation Stakes (sixth).

“She’s come forward with every run and the last day in the (Irish) Oaks she stumbled coming out of the stalls and the saddle went out on her rump.

“It was hard to believe she went the whole race with the saddle where it was and still just got beaten.”

O’Brien, fresh from Australia’s Juddmonte International triumph, now has another star performer to pitch into the autumn championship races.

“It wouldn’t matter where it was, colts or fillies, but ground would be vital,” he said.

“If all fails you’d imagine you’d get fast ground at Santa Anita (Breeders’ Cup) at the end of the year.”

Tiggy Wiggy confirmed herself as one of the best fillies of her generation with an all-the-way win in the Pinsent Masons Lowther Stakes.

Richard Hannon’s lightning- fast juvenile had won the Weatherbys Super Sprint in devastating style on her last start and proved that was no flash in the plan on her first try at six furlongs.

That she stayed the extra distance so strongly opens up further options for the end of the season, although Hannon is eyeing up a crack at the Prix de l’Abbaye in France as her two-year-old swansong.

Anthem Alexander had beaten Tiggy Wiggy (15-8 favourite) at Royal Ascot but the Irish challenger had a 3lb penalty to overcome as well as a few heavy showers prior to the race.

Cursory Glance, winner of the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, added further depth to the contest and it was left to Roger Varian’s filly to chase home the impressive length and a half winner, who broke the track record.

“She’s very difficult, but she’s very fast,” said Hannon.

“I think that was one of the best Lowthers we’ve seen for years.’’