Bachelor Duke gives Toller first classic

Bachelor Duke, trained by James Toller and ridden by Seb Sanders, won the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh this afternoon.

Grand Reward and Leitrim House disputed the early lead ahead of Azamour, the 6-4 favourite, and his market rival Grey Swallow, with Bachelor Duke going well in fifth of the eight runners.

Leitrim House went on with two furlongs left to go where Azamour found himself short of room with Grey Swallow beginning to mount his challenge.

Sanders by now had got James Toller’s 12-1 chance into top gear as Azamour found racing room but he could not match the winner’s turn of foot and Bachelor Duke landed the coveted prize by a length from the favourite with Grey Swallow (2-1) a close third.

Bachelor Duke, who lost his maiden tag with today’s victory, was reversing Newmarket form with Azamour and Grey Swallow, who had finished third and fourth respectively in the UltimateBet.com 2000 Guineas in which Toller’s charge had come seventh.

Toller said: "That was a long time coming but it's fantastic to get it - my first Classic winner. It was just a shame that the owner couldn't be here to see it.

“He looked like he had improved from the Guineas and has been working well at home.

“The ground (good to firm) also helped and we’ll probably now look at the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.”