O’Brien completes heavenly Guineas double
Superbly handled by talented Ballydoyle number two, Seamus Heffernan, the daughter of Pivotal battled on powerfully to hold Tuscan Evening and Mad About You by a head and the same with Carribean Sunset only a neck away in fourth.
Tuscan Evening, however, was subsequently demoted to fourth, having been found guilty of interfering with the chances of Carriben Sunset in the closing stages.
“We had two fillies in to make the running and always think it’s better when there’s a fair-run race”, said O’Brien, taking the 1000 Guineas for the fourth time.
Mystical Lady and Soinloveweithyou carried them along, with Heffernan content to wait his time in behind the pair.
Heffernan made his move well over a furlong out and Halfway To Heaven quickened into the lead. At this stage nothing was travelling better than Mad About You, but she didn’t find as much as seemed likely.
The winner kept going for Heffernan’s driving, as Tuscan Evening and Carribean Sunset both finished with a flourish.
“She’s a hardy lady”, said O’Brien. “Seamus was very positive and got a clear run. I’m not surprised she’s won, her form was there and she came forward well from France.
“I’m not sure if she’ll stay further. What she wants is a strongly run mile and the Coronation at Ascot could be the right race for her. You need to stay to win that.
“This is a massive weekend for us, there are so many special people involved in the whole team.”
Heffernan commented: “She is very straightforward and, when you know they get a mile, it is easy to sit in the box seat.”
John Murphy, who has nursed Tuscan Evening right back to her best, said: “I have seen the head-on and will definitely be appealing. She will go to Royal Ascot, either for the Coronation or the Jersey Stakes.”
Dermot Weld said of Mad About You: “She’s a better filly with cut in the ground.”
Danny Grant, who partnered Tuscan Evening, was suspended for four days for two incidents of careless riding.
The progressive O’Brien trained Duke Of Marmalade continued his upward curve with a perfectly satisfactory defeat of Finsceal Beo in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.
Successful on his seasonal debut at Longchamp, the son of Danehill could well be set for a very lucrative campaign.
Stable companion Red Rock Canyon held a long lead for most of the journey, but the winner had little trouble easing past with less than two furlongs to go.
Finsceal Beo was soon in pursuit and, if anything, appeared to be travelling better than the heavily backed odds-on shot.
Duke Of Marmalade, though, found loads for Johnny Murtagh urging and was well on top through the final hundred yards.
“Johnny said there was a strong head-wind, he’s a horse who just does enough”, remarked O’Brien. “The Prince Of Wales at Royal Ascot will be next.”
The four-year-old shaped as if he would stay further than this extended ten furlongs and, hardly surprisingly was given quotes for the King George at Ascot, 10-1 with William Hill and 12-1 with Boylesports.
O’Brien added to an extraordinary couple of days when Hebridean coasted to victory in the Gallinule Stakes.
Ridden with total confidence by Murtagh, the much improved gelding came from behind to sweep ahead a furlong out and ease two lengths clear of Lisvale.
“He’s an amazing horse and just gets better and better”, said O’Brien. “The King Edward at Ascot will probably be next.”
And the O’Brien bandwagon reached the magnificent seven for the weekend when Tiffany Diamond and Murtagh forged three lengths clear of Matters At Hand in the concluding maiden.
Tiffany Diamond edged across towards her rival just over a furlong from home and a stewards’ inquiry was quickly called.
As anticipated, no alteration to the placings was deemed necessary, but Murtagh was done for careless riding and suspended for two days.
Jim Bolger’s once-raced Intense Focus was best for money in the boylecasino.com EBF Maiden, 4-1 to 5-2, and justified the confidence with a gutsy display.
Powered into the lead over a furlong out by Kevin Manning, he found plenty to hold the sustained rush of Westphalia.
“He came on nicely for his first run and is a horse who will want to go further” reported Bolger.
The eye-catcher of the contest was Tommy Stack’s newcomer, Sugar Free, who came home best of all in third, from an unpromising position.
Johnny Murtagh, who rode Westphalia, was suspended for three days for careless riding, giving him a total of five overall.
Bolger completed a huge milestone when Teacht An Earraig gave him his 2000th winner as a trainer in the Boylesports’ Daily Cashback Handicap.
She was beautifully handled by 16-year-old Danny Mullins, enjoying his second success, who is the son of trainers, Tony and Mags. The youngster has a whopping 126 victories to his credit in pony racing.
He rode her like an old hand, arriving cruising approaching the furlong pole. Mullins soon sent the filly to the front and kept her going with real style to beat Charminamix by two and a half lengths.
“Danny is a lovely lad, a credit to his parents”, said Bolger, who feels Teacht An Earraig is versatile at distances between ten furlongs and a mile and six.
Joanna Morgan’s Subtle Shimmer put up a fine display to defy top weight in the six furlongs Paul Magee Memorial Handicap.
Sent to the front over a furlong down by Declan McDonogh, the daughter of Danehill Dancer held on close home to beat fast-finishing Romeo’s On Fire by a neck.
John Oxx struck for the first time over the two days when Michael Kinane and Kalidaha got the best of a desperate tussle with First In Line, the verdict a short head, in the boylesports.com Handicap.
