Wexford People

O’Brien adds to his haul of honours with Curragh and York four-time wins

WEXFORD NATIVE Aidan O’Brien had another fruitful week on both sides of the Irish Sea, sending out four high-class winners at the York Ebor Festival and enjoying a day to remember at the Curragh on Saturday as he saddled a four-timer.

He was celebratin­g a treble on the opening day of the four-day York meeting on Wednesday as Ryan Moore partnered The Lion In Winter, Los Angeles and City Of Troy to victory.

The Lion In Winter (2/1) ran on well in the closing stages to land the Tattersall­s Acomb Stakes, finishing one and three-quarter lengths in front of Wimbledon Hawkeye in the Group 3 contest run over seven furlongs.

The Master of Ballydoyle captured the following race as 5/4 favourite Los Angeles stayed on strongly inside the final furlong to overcome stalemate Illinois by a neck in the Group 2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes.

However, the best was yet to come as the classy City Of Troy won the feature race of the day, the Group 1 Juddmonte Internatio­nal Stakes.

The 5/4 favourite made all under Ryan Moore and impressive­ly fended off all challenger­s, setting a track record in beating Calandagan by a length.

The powerful O’Brien/Moore partnershi­p returned to the winners’ enclosure after the big race on the card on Thursday, as Content came out on top in the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks.

Moore got a fine tune out of the 3/1 favourite, taking up the running in the final furlong and gamely seeing off You Got To Me by three-quarters of a length.

O’Brien and Moore paired up to devastatin­g effect at the Curragh on Saturday as they teamed up for four winners at the Kildare track.

They got the ball rolling in the opening contest, the Coolmore Stud TheAntarct­ic Irish EBF Maiden, as 7/4 favourite Officer finished strongly to beat Storm Piece by half a length.

Henri Matisse (5/6f) was their second winner of the day, as he maintained his unbeaten record in the Group 2 Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish EBF Futurity Stakes, powering to the front on the run-in to beat Hotazhell by a length.

Bedtime Story brought up the treble in the Group 2 Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes at prohibitiv­e odds of 1/16 favourite. The market leader got to the front in the closing stages, finishing half a length ahead of stablemate Exactly, ridden by Wayne Lordan.

Fighter (6/1) rounded off a productive afternoon for O’Brien and Moore, making most of the running and taking control from over a furlong out to beat Ard Na Mara by four and a quarter lengths in the Join Racing TV for Just €14 Now Maiden.

O’Brien had a double at Leopardsto­wn on Thursday, with Chemistry and Platoon doing the business at the Dublin track.

The Declan McDonagh-ridden Chemistry (10/1) finished second in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Vinnie Roe Stakes over one mile and six furlongs, but was awarded the race in the stewards’ room after being hampered by Kinesiolog­y in the final one hundred yards.

Platoon made a winning debut as the 11/4 shot, with Jack Cleary on board, had enough in hand to keep Touch of Sound at bay to land the Boyle Sports Money Back Maiden over a mile.

Cleary rode another winner for the Clonroche native at Naas on Sunday as 18/1 outsider Garden Of Eden showed admirable resolve to edge out Two late baby doll and Celtic Motif by a head.

Meanwhile, P.J. McDonald rode a winner at Beverley on Sunday, as he partnered the Ed Bethall-trained Lerwick 9/2 to a one and a halflength victory ahead of Shimmering Sands in the finale.

Joseph O’Brien had winners at both Leopardsto­wn and Killarney on Thursday evening and J.J. Slevin shared his first success, at the Kerry venue, where Teriferma scored a ready success in the opening three-year-old maiden hurdle.

In the colours of Bronsan Racing, the 14/1 chance led after the final hurdle and went clear to beat the Paul Power-trained Game Phoenix by two lengths.

O’Brien also won the concluding bumper with the John Gleeson-ridden Walk On The Beach, and his winner at Leopardsto­wn came in the eight-furlong fillies’ handicap which went to the Dylan Browne McMonagle-ridden Evening Blossom.

Also at Killarney, Conor StoneWalsh and trainer Gavin Cromwell won the two-mile one-furlong handicap chase with the sevenyear-old Dutch Schultz.

In the colours of the Bootlegger Syndicate, the strong 4/1 favourite arrived with his challenge at the final fence and soon led to beat John Ryan’s front-runner Mount Frisco by a length and three-parts.

There is racing in Wexford this Friday, with the first off at 3.20 p.m.