Guerre clocks fast time as he lowers Maarek’s colours
Sent off the 11/4 favourite, the War Front colt clocked a fast 57.84 seconds for the stiff five furlongs, quickening well approaching the furlong-pole to triumph by a length and a half, completing a double for Ballydoyle, initiated by another son of War Front, War Envoy in the opening two-year-old colts’ maiden.
Aidan O’Brien was, understandably impressed by Guerre’s victory, stating: “He’s a fast horse and that was impressive. It wasn’t a bad performance for a three-year-old against the older horses so early in the season. This was his first time running over five furlongs and he’ll probably run in the Greenlands (six furlongs) next.
“We’ll see how he gets on there before deciding whether to bring him back to five for Ascot.”
The O’Brien’s, Aidan and Joseph, had earlier scored with 1/3 favourite War Envoy, which lived up to his reputation when scoring a smooth, one-length success over the experienced Packing Go Go in the opener.
“You’d have to be delighted with that and you couldn’t ask for any more,” said O’Brien. “He’s quite babyish and will come on plenty from the run. Joseph took his time and educated the horse. He might come back here for a winners’ race next month before we think about Ascot.”
Ballydoyle filly Timbuktu started 7/4 favourite for the two-year-old fillies maiden but hit top gear too late to collar the Matty Tynan-trained 33/1 shot Coto, enterprisingly ridden by Colin Keane, which held on by a half-length.
A delighted Tynan enthused: “It’s unbelievable to beat the big boys in a two-year-old maiden. We knew she was fast, but she disappointed us the last day in Dundalk and we would have been happy to finish fifth or sixth tonight.”
The John Oxx-trained Kerkeni, beaten at odds-on in Cork last time, opened his account in the concluding one-mile maiden, Declan McDonogh’s mount holding the late surge of favourite System Overload by a half-length.
