Irish Oaks Final Read: Held-Up Favourite Faces a Tactical Test

THUNDERING ON is the early favourite for the 2026 Irish Oaks and has one of the strongest recent finishing profiles in the field. However, she is expected to be held up, leaving her reliant on the leaders setting a genuine pace. Several runners are likely to race prominently, but they may not compete aggressively for the lead. If the leaders are still travelling comfortably turning for home on Good to Firm ground, THUNDERING ON may have too much ground to recover in the closing stages.