O’Brien in the groove
Leger double at Doncaster and Curragh
BALLYDOYLE MAESTRO Aidan O’Brien got back in the Classic winning groove at the weekend, taking the English and Irish St Legers, at Doncaster on Saturday with Kew Gardens and at the Curragh on Sunday with Flag of Honour, just to prove that his horses are back to their best after a mid-season bout of illness in the stable.
He was winning the English Leger for the sixth time in his glittering career, Ryan Moore steering home Kew Gardens (3/1) ahead of Frankie Dettori on John Gosden’s favourite, Lah Ti Dar (7/4).
The Ballydoyle contingent had no time to celebrate as they literally ran from the parade ring to catch a helicopter at 4 p.m. to dash back to Leopardstown for major Champions Weekend engagements, arriving just in time for the Group 1 Matron Stakes at 5.25 p.m.
The Classic double was completed in impressive style a day later when Flag of Honour (2/1f) made every yard of the running in a well-timed ride by Moore, beating his trainer’s son, Joseph, into second place with his Irish Derby winner, Latrobe.
Moore and O’Brien completed a two-country double in less than three hours on Saturday, picking up €118,000 with I Can Fly (7/2) in the Clipper Logistics Boomerang Stakes, ahead of stable mate Kenya (7/2) under Seamie Heffernan.
The €1 million plus highlight of the day at Leopardstown was the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes, and this was seen by many as a ‘match’ between John Gosden’s Roaring Lion (8/11) and O’Brien’s Saxon Warrior (5/2).
They finished in that order but only after a terrific battle up the straight.
Many wondered why Moore did not press his horse much harder in the driving finish, but it turned out that Saxon Warrior had damaged a tendon in running and this injury has caused a premature end to his career, so Moore was certainly justified in limiting the damage as much as possible.
Sunday at the Curragh saw Ballydoyle having to accept minor honours in the big races until the Leger with the winners spread far and wide, going to trainers Eddie Lynam, Dermot Weld, Karl Burke, Patrick Prendergast, Mick Channon, Charlie Appleby and Pat Fahey.
O’Brien came close to success in the €350k Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes when Moore just lost out to Godolphin’s Quorto in a stirring battle.
He had a number of runners earlier in the week at Doncaster and his big success was in the fillies’ and mares’ Group 2 May Hill Stakes on Thursday with Fleeting, a 12/1 surprise ridden by Donnacha, with the more fancied Peach Tree (6/1) fading to the end of the field under Ryan Moore.
Aidan had begun the week well with a double at Listowel on Monday with Astronomer (2/1) under son Donnacha, and Tabora (10/3) under Seamie Heffernan in two quite valuable races, and Jim Bolger made it a Wexford treble in the big races when his Panstarr (8/1) won under Kevin Manning.
Jimmy Quinn (New Ross) had that rare thing, a 50/1 winner, at Chelmsford on Saturday with Hic Bibi, and he almost made it a double when second on Procedure (11/1).
William Martin from Clonhaston, Enniscorthy, sent a couple over to Ffos Las in Wales on Sunday and had a comfortable seven-furlong handicap winner in Time Stands Still (8/1) under top jockey, Luke Morris, while his Rolanna was second in a mile and a half handicap.