O’Brien on a winner at Newmarket

AIDAN O’BRIEN and jockey Ryan Moore made their presence felt with a small team of runners at the lucrative Newmarket July meeting.

On Thursday his US Navy Flag (9/1) was second in the £80,000 Group 2 July Stakes to James Doyle on Mark Johnston’s Cardsharp (8/1).

They had two impressive wins from two runners on Friday - Clemmie (11/8) in the £80,000 fillies’ Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes, and Roly Poly (6/4f) in the £200,000 fillies’ Group 1 Falmouth Stakes, this being O’Brien’s eleventh Group 1 winner of the season so far.

It was thought he and Moore might repeat the dose on Saturday, especially when they won the £80,000 Group 2 Superlative Stakes with Gustav Klimt (5/6f), holding on by a head despite meeting trouble and taking the scenic route to the line.

However, they missed out on the big one of the week - the £500,000 Group 1 Darley July Cup - when the previously unbeaten Caravaggio (10/11f) could only finish fourth, albeit less than two lengths behind the winner, Harry Angel (9/2), under Alan Kirby for Clive Cox.

I would say the loudest cheers came from the bookies who must have had millions in combination bets riding on that one.

A couple of other Wexford men came close to sharing the glory on Saturday’s big televised card. Pat McDonald was second on Mark Johnston’s Masham Star (8/1) in the £30,000 mile handicap, behind Richard Hannon’s Medahim (12/1), and Jimmy Quinn was second in the 18-runner £120,000 Bunbury Cup on David Elsworth’s Sir Dancealot (16/1), behind David Barron’s Above The Rest (12/1).

Pat Dobbs had a frustrating day; with nine rides between Ascot and Salisbury, he had to wait until the last of them to get any reward - second, beaten just a neck on Billsdon Bess (5/1) in the finale at Salisbury by John Gosden’s Standing Rock (6/4f).

Earlier in the week in Britain, on Monday Josh Quinn, son of Jimmy from New Ross, won at Ayr on his only ride, Magic Journey (15/2), for J.J. Quinn, while Pat Dobbs went to Windsor for a couple for Ralph Beckett and won the last on Harebell (7/2).

Pat McDonald (Taghmon) kept up his strike rate of good priced winners when getting home by a neck at Catterick on Mark Johnston’s Faithful Promise (9/1).

Over the jumps, Tom O’Brien marked his return after an injury spell with a win at Worcester on Psychedelic Rock (9/4jf) for Ian Williams. Jonathan Moore made the trip over to Worcester to ride a couple for of Rebecca Curtis but had to be satisfied with a third placing on One Term (5/1).

Moore went over again to Stratford for a couple on Sunday and romped to an easy win on Scripturient (5/2) for Gavin Cromwell in the two-mile six-furlong chase.