A big Ascot double
O’Briens end season on a high note
THE BRITISH flat racing season ended with Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday with four Group 1s and a Group 2 on a card worth nearly €5 million, and Aidan O’Brien ended his British raids for the year on a high note with a major double by his son, Donnacha, including his first ever success in the Champion Stakes.
The Qipco Champion Stakes, worth over €1.358m, is one of the few top races to have eluded Aidan over the past 20 years, and that gap on his CV was filled in impressive style by his wonderful mare, Magical (1/1f), holding off Addeybb (5/1) under a great ride by Donnacha.
Aidan described Magical as ‘the ultimate racehorse’, and she has been one of his busiest and most consistent performers despite being unable to lower the colours of superstar Enable in a few attempts.
This was her sixth win from nine outings this season, including the Irish Champions Stakes at Leopardstown last month. Donnacha has had three wins from four rides on Magical.
He had initiated his double earlier on Kew Gardens (7/2) in an epic battle with Stradivarius (8/13) in the £450k Champions Long Distance Cup, getting up in the last strides of the two miles to win by a nose, ending a 10-race winning run. This was overdue as ‘Kew’ had been second in his previous three runs under Ryan Moore.
Ironically, Donnacha was only riding on Saturday because Ryan Moore had flown to Australia to ride Ten Sovereigns for Ballydoyle in the €8.55m TAB Everest, the richest flat race of the year; the horse did not take to the trip at all and trailed in last.
Seamie Heffernan nearly got in on the act for Ballydoyle in the £550k Fillies and Mares Champion Stakes with the front running Delphinia (20/1) only collared by Frankie Dettori and Star Catcher (7/4) by a short head.
Aidan did not forget home affairs and had a double at Leopardstown as well, Celtic King at a remarkable 25/1 under Eric McNamara from stable mate Nobel Prize (11/4), and Mount Everest (11/4) under Wayne Lordan.
In the €60k Group 3 Killavullan Stakes, O’Brien’s Iberia (6/4f) was shocked by Stela Star (33/1), giving Tom Mullins, more associated with the jumps, his first ever Group success on the flat.
The O’Brien father and son had another double at Naas on Sunday in the opening two races, with Hong Kong (11/2) and Love Locket (2/1f) and they began the week with two at a low key Punchestown card on Monday. Arthur’s Kingdom (11/10f) and King Pellinor (11/4).
However, Jim Bolger got in on the act in a big way with a 960/1 treble at Naas – in the €55k Bluebell Stakes with Solage (14/1), and the closing €25k Handicap with Halimi (7/1), both under Kevin Manning, and a 1-2 in the Apprentice handicap, Mother Vincent (7/1) beating Vocal Duke(16/1) and Willie Byrne from Pierecestown.
On the flat in Britain, PJ McDonald had three winners this week, ending the official flat season (from May 4 to Oct 19) at Catterick on Saturday, on Bound for Heaven (9/2).
McDonald ended up in joint fifth position in the championship on 82 winners, a great achievement from a total field of 450 professionals and 300 amateurs.
Pat Dobbs (Enniscorthy) ended up with 38 winners from just 270 rides in a shortened season due to his UAE commitments.
On the Irish jumps scene, Seán Flanagan had the full week off and missed out on a couple of Noel Meade winners. Punchestown on Tuesday proved a successful meeting for the Wexford connections, taking home four of the seven races.
JJ Slevin had a jumps double, on Fruits of Glory (7/1) for Edward Cawley from Meath, and he beat his Joseph O’Brien stablemate by a neck, A Wave of the Sea (4/5f) holding Cerberus (25/1).
The Doyle Brothers from Monbeg, Ballindaggin, scored in the two and half mile hurdle. Premier D’Troice (7/2f) won in the colours of Donnchadh, trained by Seán, and ridden by Liam Quinlan. Second here was Liz Doyle’s Burlesque Queen (5/1), ridden by James O’Sullivan (Camolin).
Jamie Codd was a comfortable winner of the mares’ bumper on Gordon Elliuott’s Larquebuse (15/8). Codd was just pipped in the bumper on day three of Punchestown, being a head back on John McConnell’s Good Time Jonny (8/1).
The action switched to Tramore on Thursday and Liz Doyle kept up her recent momentum with a nice double, with hot favourite, JP McManus’s Evoi Pierji (2/5), under Mark Walsh, and Silk Worm (11/4) in the lady riders’ pro-am flat race under Maxine O’Sullivan.
‘It’s been a while since we had a double but the horses are in great form and we have some nice ones for the winter, which is great,’ Doyle said.
Jonathan Moore and Gavin Cromwell also maintained their hot streak with a clear-cut success in the opening maiden hurdle for Alfa Mix (11/4), and they had a single horse at Cork on Sunday and made it pay with Flooring Porter (4/1f) winning it well.