Excel-lent day for O’Brien

Excelebration, a Group 1 winner for Marco Botti last season made a successful debut for Aidan O’Brien when outclassing his six rivals in the Big Bad Bob Gladness Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

The four-year-old’s smooth success proved the highlight of a treble for Aidan O’Brien and provided his son Joseph with the second leg of a double.

Excelebration came through strongly to master pacemaking stable-companion Windsor Palace at the furlong-pole before forging clear to triumph by three and a quarter lengths.