O’Brien’s six of best
Disappointed to miss out on big ones
AIDAN O’BRIEN scored six of the best at the Guineas Classics meeting at the Curragh on Saturday (when he had a four-timer) and Sunday, but he will surely be disappointed to lose out to outsiders in both the Tattersalls 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas.
Taghmon’s Pat McDonald won the second Group 1 of his career on Laurens in Paris on Sunday.
A 25/1 shot, Romanised, caused a major shock in the 2,000, giving a first Classic success for Kildare trainer Ken Condon on Saturday, and there was no fluke about it as he left three O’Brien horses trailing in his wake with a powerful finishing burst. US Navy Flag, already the winner of half a million euro, was second with Gustav Klimpt third
And the dose was repeated in the 1,000 Guineas on Sunday when Jessica Harrington picked up her first Group 1 on the flat with Alpha Centauri (12/1).
Donnacha O’Brien almost stole the race on Aidan’s 33/1 outsider, Could It Be Love, with favourite, Happily (5/4) and Ryan Moore, third but never looking like a winner.
Moore partnered three of the four winners on a Saturday of O’Brien domination, and at unusually good prices.
He led home a 1-3 on Just Wonderful (9/2) in a two-year-old maiden; he led in a 1-2 on Merchant Navy (9/2) in the €120,000 Group 2 Greenland Stakes, and he won the €50,000 three-year-old fillies’ handicap on Hence (13/2).
O’Brien also had a 1-2-3 in the €60,000 Marble Hill Listed stakes for two-year-olds, with Seamie Heffernan winning on Fairyland (14/1), the outsider of the trio, from Van Beethoven (4/6) and Land Force (8/1).
On Sunday, O’Brien captured the €300,000 Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup with Lancaster Bomber (10/3) under Seamie Heffernan, from his favourite Cliffs of Moher (7/4). The ‘Bomber’ had won almost a million Euros all over the world but this was a first Group 1, which is important for breeding purposes.
The O’Brien camp finished with a last race win in a humble maiden by Lucius Tiberius (6/5f) under Aidan’s son, Donnacha. Most stables would be very happy with the Curragh haul but by Ballydoyle standards, not winning either of the two classics is almost a failure.
Attention will turn to Epsom next weekend with the Oaks on Friday and the Derby on Saturday.
The big weekend began at Leopardstown on Friday night with O’ Brien winning the listed €50,000 Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes with Order of St. George (1/10 on) for the third year in a row, en route to another tilt at the Ascot Gold Cup.
Jim Bolger had his first twoyear-old winner of the season with debutant Bold Approach (13/2), under Kevin Manning. This is the first flat horse owned by Enniscorthy chemist Sam McCauley, proudly sporting the purple and gold.
Bolger has a high opinion of the horse and is aiming him at the National Stakes and the Dewhurst in England.
Pat McDonald tried to make all on Karl Burke’s Laurens in the ten-furlong Group Coolmore Prix Saint Alary at Longchamp and he looked sure to be swallowed up near the end, but rider and horse showed great courage to hold on in a photo, and build on second place in the English 1,000 Guineas a few weeks ago.
It rounded off a very good week for the Taghmon man, his seven British wins being highlighted by a 47/1 treble at Carlisle, and his single ride at Goodwood where he picked up a €25,000 handicap for Mark Johnston on the well-backed Love Dreams (9/4).
Pat Dobbs made all on Gather (6/1 at Goodwood on Friday), and he won on Mirage Dancer (1/1) for Michael Stoute at Goodwood on Saturday.
Over the jumps, Tom O’Brien had single rides at two tracks on Wednesday and won on them both, Sister Sibyl (5/2) at Warwick and Earl Shill (13/8) at Southwell.
Daryl Jacob scored on a Henderson hotshot, Dragon D’Estruval (4/5), at Ffos Las on Saturday evening.
O’Brien had a double at Uttoxeter on Sunday with Mister Miyagi (15/8) and Good Man Vinnie (7/2), and Daryl Jacob got up to win the closing hurdle by a nose on Nelson’s Touch (7/2) for Seamus Mullins.