EPSOM, June 1: Trainer Henry Cecil emerged from the doldrums to land his first classic winner since 2000 on Friday when Light Shift, a 13-2 chance, won the Epsom Oaks. It was a record-equalling eighth Oaks triumph for 64-year-old Cecil who has fought back from illness and misfortune to the winner's enclosure again.

Light Shift took up the running with 300 metres to go and held on gallantly by half a length from 20-1 outsider Peeping Fawn, one of four runners in the race for Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien.

All My Loving (5-1), another O'Brien raider, finished third of the 14 runners, four lengths behind Peeping Fawn.

It was a first English classic winner for jockey Ted Durcan but a 24th for Cecil who has been training at Newmarket for nearly 40 years.

Passage of Time, another Cecil runner, was sent off as 9-4 favourite but could only finish eighth.

Ten-time champion trainer Cecil sent out over 100 winners in 1998 but the tally dropped every year until 2006 when his 25 successes included Passage of Time in a group one race in France.

Earlier this year he disclosed he was suffering from stomach cancer but said the treatment had gone well and it had not affected his work in any way.—Reuters