ALMOST a century after the death of her famous namesake, the equine Minnie Hauk staked a claim to stardom with her victory in the Group 1 Oaks, one of the three major wins over the two days of the Epsom meeting for Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle.

Amalia Mignon Hauck, commonly known as Minnie Hauk, was born in 1851 in New York City, the only child of a German emigrant and his American wife. She was a precocious talent, making her public debut at the age of 14.