JAPAN JOY

Colt spearheads incredible O’brien 306/1 four-timer

JAPAN pipped stable-companion Mount Everest in yesterday’s Group 2 Beresford Stakes in Naas to crown a remarkable weekend for Aidan O’brien.

Winner of his maiden in Listowel last time, the Galileo colt swooped late under Seamus Heffernan to beat the favourite by a short-head, completing a 306/1 Sunday four-timer for Ballydoyle, the other trio were ridden by stable-jockey Ryan Moore, back from finishing third on Mendelsshon in the Jockey Club Gold Cup in Belmont on Saturday.

And this came 24 hours after Aidan, inset, and Donnacha O’brien combined for a superb Newmarket treble with Ten Sovereigns and Fairyland grabbing Group 1 glory, in the Middle

Park and Cheveley Park respectively, in addition to Mohawk’s win in the Group 3

Royal Lodge Stakes.

After Japan’s win, Aidan O’brien said: “He’s a big hardy horse. He was very green the first day, came forward to win in

Listowel and has improved again since. And I think he’ll come forward from today too. He travelled well and did everything right. He’ll probably go for the (Group 1) Futurity in Doncaster now.”

In the earlier action, Moyglare third Hermosa booked her ticket to the Fillies Mile in Newmarket when justifying favouritism in the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes.

Cypress Creek came from off the pace to deny Twilight Payment in the two-mile Loughbrown Stakes (Group 3).

Ballydoyle’s successful Sunday had started when

Magna Grecia justified favourit- ism in the open- ing contest for twoyear-old newcomers, after which Colm O’donoghue received a seven-day careless riding ban.

And Chris Hayes bagged a double, highlighted by his dramatic last-to-first surge on board British raider Unfortunately, trained by Karl Burke, to deny Ballydoyle hope St Patrick’s Day in the Group 3 Renaissance Stakes.

JUSTIFED FAVOURITISM Hermosa booked her Newmarket ticket with victory in Naas yesterday