St George regains his crown

ORDER Of St George romped to a nine lengths win in the Comer Group International Irish St Leger at the Curragh.

Final leg of a treble for Aidan O’brien, the 2/5 favourite yesterday became the fifth multiplewinner of the final classic of the Irish season.

He is also the first horse to regain the crown, having won in similarly devastating fashion two years before losing out to Wicklow Brave last year.

Ryan Moore sent the five-year-old to the front running for home and, soon clear, he bolted-up, beating Torcedor, Mount Moriah and Wicklow Brave.

Described by O’brien as an “unbelievable horse”, Order Of St George is now likely to head for the Arc, in which he was third to Found last year, rather than make the journey to the Melbourne Cup.

“He stays two and a half miles, handles soft ground and is very comfortable over a mile and a half if there is an ease in the ground,” said O’brien.

Ballydoyle had earlier struck in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes as Happily, ridden by Donnacha O’brien, pipped the Moore-ridden Magical by a short-head, with September third, in a 1-2-3 for Aidan O’brien.

The first three home will now be split up between the Prix Marcel Boussac and the Fillies Mile while Clemmie will head for the Cheveley Park.

Earlier, Caravaggio returned to winning ways when powering through inside the final furlong to beat front-running stablecompanion Alphabet in the Group 2 Flying Five, first leg of a double for Moore. The Qipco Champions Sprint in Ascot is Caravaggio’s next assignment.

Verbal Dexterity gave Jim Bolger a fourth Goffs Vincent O’brien National Stakes win when reversing Railway Stakes form and outstaying favourite Beckford in the colts’ Group 1, from which antepost favourite Gustav Klimt was a withdrawal.

Bolger said: “He’s the complete package, the real deal, as good as any of the horses I’ve had.

“I loved him the first day and got it wrong bringing him back to six furlongs in the Railway.

“But we were fairly optimistic we’d turn it around with the Beckford over seven today.

“He’ll go to the Dewhurst next. And I see no need to look beyond a mile with him.”

Verbal Dexterity was a 35th Group 1 winner for rider Kevin Manning.

The Dermot Weldtrained Shamreen (Pat Smullen) repeated last year’s win in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes, making all to beat Beautiful Morning by three lengths.

Weld said: “She’s entitled to have a crack at a Group 1 now and will run in the Prix de l’opera on Arc weekend.”