Long but fruitful weekend for O’Brien jnr
Beaten at long odds-on in Naas four days earlier, Parliament Square justified 4/9 favouritism in the opening Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Maiden. Helped by first-time cheekpieces, the Acclamation colt stretched clear inside the final furlong to beat Monakova by four-and-a-half lengths, prompting his rider to suggest: “He’ll have no problem stepping up to listed or Group company.”
Blaming his travel to the U.K. and France over the weekend, O’Brien was unable to do 8-12 on After in the listed Belgrave Stakes, won by Slade Power.
But he showed no ill effects when returning to action on board Warwick Avenue, which made all to win the Value Packages At Fairyhouse Race, the Montjeu colt battling well to keep favourite Blue Corner at bay by a head.
O’Brien commented: “He’s a horse with a great attitude and is improving with every run. There should be more to come from him.”
Chicago completed the treble for Aidan and Joseph O’Brien when outpointing favourite Hay Point by two-and-a-half lengths in the finale, the Fairyhouse Sunday Market Handicap,
At the end of a long and fruitful weekend, Joseph said: “He didn’t get home over a mile and six in Bellewstown and today’s trip suited him better. He’s still improving.”
The Eddie Lynam-trained Slade Power overcame fears about the testing ground to win the listed Belgrave Stakes at the expense of Arctic, rewarding his trainer’s decision to stay at home rather than travel to Newbury on Saturday.
Slade Power, owned by David and Sabina Power, was following-up a listed win in Haydock and his trainer admitted: “He has a bit of class and I think he could be very good, although I had to find out about his ground by running him today. Wayne said he wasn’t in love with it, but just about got away with it. He’ll be some horse next year.”
Plans for Slade Power might now include a crack at the Group 1 Betfred Sprint Cup in Haydock, preferably on better ground.
Slade Power’s rider Wayne Lordan, in treble form at Dundalk on Thursday, completed a double when Colours Of Love, trained for the GAA Legends Syndicate by Willie McCreery, prevailed in a three-way photo-finish to the six-furlong Fairyhouse Members Handicap.
The O’Briens were denied further success when the Pat Smullen-ridden Encrypted Message collared Unanimous late in the Family Funday At Fairyhouse Maiden while ten-year-old Akram, trained by Niall ‘Boots’ Madden for J P McManus and ridden by Fran Berry, justified 4/1 favouritism in the Children Under 18 Are Free Handicap.
