Twelve days after her win in the Irish classic, Imagine started 3/1 favourite against thirteen opponents in the Epsom Oaks. O'Brien had not been able to run his horses in Britain earlier in the season because of restrictions on the movement of livestock imposed as a result of the 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak. Ridden by Kinane, Imagine was restrained at the back of the field in the early stages and seemed to be struggling just after halfway as she seemed unable to handle the downhill section of the course. She turned into the straight in eighth place but then made steady progress down the centre of the course to challenge the leader Relish the Thought inside the last quarter mile. Imagine overtook Relish the Thought 150 yards from the finish and won by one and a quarter lengths with the fast-finishing second favourite Flight of Fancy (owned by the Queen) taking second place in the last strides. The first three were all daughters of Sadler's Wells. After the race O'Brien said that Imagine was "an amazing filly to win like that when it was ground she didn't like."