O’BRIEN IS BACK WITH A DOUBLE
Trainer caps cracking weekend
ON a weekend when Enable proved her star quality by completing the Oaks double on Saturday, Aidan O’brien took the honours with a Group 2 double at the Curragh yesterday. Enable became the 14th filly to complete the Epsom-curragh Oaks double when outclassing her nine rivals in the Darley Irish Oaks, a fourth win in the race for Frankie Dettori and a second for trainer John Gosden. The filly is a class-act and although plans for her remain unclear, she looks certain to make her mark when she takes on the colts later in the season, with the Arc a likely end-of-season target. O’brien, who failed to hit the target at Group 1 level over the weekend, struck on the double with Elizabeth Browning and Spirit Of Valor yesterday. Seamus Heffernan, who won Saturday’s Group 2 Anglesey Stakes on Actress, delivered Elizabeth Browning with a perfectlytimed challenge to beat Wilamina and Laganore in the Kilboy Estates Fillies Stakes. “We’ve always thought a lot of her and she’s starting to get it together,” said O’brien. The Group 2 double was completed when Ryan Moore made all on Jersey Stakes runner-up Spirit Of Valor to capture the Qatar Airways Minstrel Stakes in convincing fashion from So Beloved. O’brien added: “Ryan was very happy with him. And seven furlongs seems to be his trip. We’ll probably look at the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood for him next.” Special mention for the Adrian Keatleytrained course specialist Zeftan, a close fourth in the Ladies Derby on Saturday, which reappeared to win yesterday’s two-mile handicap under talented apprentice Danny Sheehy. Zeftan got up late to beat Mandatrio, denying Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning a double following the success of odds-on favourite Dawn Delivers in the two-yearold fillies maiden. Meanwhile, in Sligo, jockeys Robbie Power and Sean Flanagan were in the wars. Power faces at least six days off following a fall from Jacobs Well which left him with soft tissue injuries to his face and dental damage. Flanagan, who triumphed on Liz Doyle’s La Bella Vida, sustained chest and rib injuries when Oh’ herewego ran out in one of the handicap hurdles.