Racing: Sorcerous stars in O'Brien four-timer

Impressive newcomer Sorcerous starred in a stunning Aidan O’Brien four-timer at Leopardstown yesterday.

Sorcerous, who cost two million guineas at the Newmarket sales last autumn, was well-touted in the Sycamore Maiden and duly obliged.

Millstreet was a heavily-supported second favourite and led into the straight and was pushed into third behind Sorcerous and In Time’s Eye, who ws beaten a length.

‘‘We always planned to give this fellow just the one race towards the end of the season. He is a lovely big horse that should be going places next season,’’ said O’Brien.

Although O’Brien yard had a four-timer, stable jockey Michael Kinane only rode two of them and is still five behind the reigning champion Pat Smullen who is still on the 80 mark having drawn a rare blank.

Johnny Murtagh moved within three of Smullen when Peru Genie made all the running in the opening sprint before the O’Brien bandwagon rolled into action.

Pietra Dura, in the race as first reserve, started the ball rolling for O’Brien and Kinane when this well-bred daughter of Cadeaux Genereux justified good support in the Laidlaw Maiden confined to fillies.

O’Brien saddled both the first and second in the Group Three Killavullan Stakes but it was the 12-1 chance Stonemason that proved much too good for the odds-on Temple Of Artemis.

Seamus Heffernan got the mount on Stonemason instead of Colom Donohue who had hurt his hand in a stalls mishap on Sunday at Galway and proceeded to make the best of the opportunity on the son of Nureyev.

The four-timer was completed in the Listed Trigo Stakes but again punters got it wrong as 14-1 chance Ice Dancer took the prize with Kinane’s shorter priced mount Chamela Bay only fourth.

‘‘I am delighted for Paul Scallan that he has won here on Ice Dancer because he has been working mostly for the team on pacemakers this season and never complains,’’ said O’Brien.

Ice Dancer had run a fine race in the Irish Champion Stakes when pacemaking for Galileo and certainly appreciated today the drop in class to Listed company.

Scallan was handed a five-day ban for using his whip with excessive force and frequency on the surprise winner.