Champion, Churchill!
Owner Aidan O’Brien claims a record eighth winner of the 2,000 Guineas as Ryan Moore brings star colt home
Ever since Aidan O’Brien moved to Ballydoyle 21 years ago he has become as accustomed to making headlines as he has racing history, but yesterday he broke one of the sport’s longest-standing marks when Churchill, the 6-4 favourite, gave him a record eighth victory in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas.
O’Brien had previously shared the record with John Scott, whose seven winners came in two decades of similar domination between 1842 and 1862.
O’Brien’s eight, beginning in 1998 with King Of Kings, have come even quicker, but he has some way to go before he expunges Scott, the ‘Wizard of the North’ from the record books altogether – he sent out 41 Classic winners in all, including 16 St Leger winners and, in 1853, his West Australia was the first horse to win the Triple Crown of Guineas, Derby and Leger. The 209th running of the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket could not have gone more to plan for O’Brien. Lancaster Bomber, one of his other contenders, made the running at a leisurely pace – too leisurely for the likes of most of Churchill’s rivals.
Once Churchill had settled after a furlong, Ryan Moore tracked Lancaster Bomber through, before slipping up his inside when the false rail ended to hit the front two furlongs out. Doing what the champion two-year-old is supposed to do at three, he was always in control of the dash for the line, coming home a length clear of Barney Roy and the French challenger Al Wukair, who were separated by a neck.
Lancaster Bomber was fourth, with the Frankel colts, Dream Castle and Eminent, fifth and sixth respectively.
The winner is a deep-chested, imposing colt who, on looks at any rate, is built for speed rather than distance, and most bookmakers left him unchanged at 6-1 for the Derby. While he was not stopping at the end of the mile yesterday, neither was it a case of the further the better, and one would imagine that the St James’s Palace will be his next port of call.
O’Brien described the win as “brilliant” and admitted that, despite the outward signs of confidence in the bet- ting market, he had harboured worries. “I was a bit nervous. He’s a big horse, it was his first run, it was a competitive race. But Donnacha [his son who rides out the horse every day] was happy, and that was giving us the confidence.”
He added: “Everyone around the horse was happy. I just observe and listen. If I have anything to say it either goes into the system or it doesn’t. He was a big, mature horse last year and he’s still improving, with an unbelievable mind. When I was saddling him up his demeanour was very good. He doesn’t get anxious about anything. The lads [Coolmore] will make all the decisions [about where he goes next] in the next 10 days [after the Derby trials]. He’s by Galileo, who has bags of stamina, but he’s out of a very speedy mare. A mile is not a problem and I think he’d get a mile and a quarter well, but a mile and a half? I’m not sure.”
Moore, who was celebrating his second Guineas victory, agreed that the race had gone very smoothly. “I thought there might be more pace, but he’s done everything the right way.
“He’s a beautiful mover and filled me with confidence through the race. He’s done everything right through his whole career and he’s got better. He beat the best at two, and so far this season he’s beaten the best at three – and he’ll improve on today.
“I’ve always thought a lot of him and so far he’s been up to the task. Let’s hope he keeps on. His daddy won a Derby, but it’s a month away and they’ll work out what happened today and what is happening [with the others] before a decision is made.”
Richard Hannon, trainer of Barney Roy, was pleased with the runner-up. “He ran a good race. He got a bit unbalanced in the dip. Ryan gave him a lovely ride. It was a shame there was not more pace, but hopefully he has some big days ahead of him. We thought he was a good horse and he proved that. He’ll go to Ascot now.
“Churchill got the run of the race. Our run was interrupted slightly. I don’t know if it made any difference, but we’ll find out next time.”
Frankel’s sons, his first Classic runners, both acquitted themselves well without setting the world on fire. Eminent, beaten three lengths, will doubtless step up in trip now and was wholly unsuited to the slow pace.
Hopes of the first Frankel Classic winner rest upon Fair Eva and Queen Kindly in today’s 1,000 Guineas.