Mooresbridge delight for Layfayette
Layfayette came from last to first to bring up a hat-trick in the Coolmore Sottsass Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes.
Aidan O’Brien had won eight of the last 10 runnings of this Group Two contest, but his 5/2 favourite High Definition could not land a blow in fourth as Noel Meade’s five-year-old confirmed the form of their track-and-trip clash last month with authority.
Held up in the early stages by Chris Hayes, the 3/1 shot cruised into contention in a matter of strides approaching the final quarter of a mile.
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He responded for his rider to keep on strongly in the closing stages and record a three-quarter-length victory over Bear Story, who produced a fine effort to outrun odds of 14-1.
Meade won last year’s Tattersalls Gold Cup with Hevic Dream, and admitted there will be a temptation to supplement Layfayette for the Group One prize.
He said: “He’s not in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, but we’ll have to think about supplementing him for it now. He certainly deserves a place in it. He’s in the Hardwicke and that is a possibility. He’s improving all the time and he was very good.
“As Chris said he nearly got there too soon. He’s beaten the same horses again but has beaten them better and I thought he travelled better today.
“We still think a mile and a half wouldn’t be a problem. I feel sorry for Oisin (Orr, who is injured) because he won on him twice this year but Chris won the Lincoln and a Listed race last year and knows him well too. It would be an expensive call to put him in it (Tattersalls Gold Cup), but we’ll decide closer to the time.”
Buckaroo pops up back in trip
Buckaroo was cut to 14/1 from 33/1 by Paddy Power and Betfair for the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot next month after a smooth success in the Listed Coolmore Arizona Irish EBF Tetrarch Stakes.
Joseph O'Brien's charge had just missed out to the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Piz Badile in the Ballysax over 10 furlongs on his seasonal return but relished the move back to a mile, travelling stylishly for Shane Crosse before easing to the front a furlong out.
The 15/8 favourite soon settled matters and stayed on nicely to put four lengths between himself and runner-up Wexford Native (7/2), with front-running New Energy (15/2) back in third.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsO’Brien said: “I was really happy with that. I took a bit of a chance coming back to a mile, but I thought he’d been working with plenty of pace, maybe more than I was giving him credit for in his earlier days. He looks like an Irish Guineas horse.
“He’s a big, strong, powerful horse and has quite a laid-back attitude. I discussed it with Sheikh Fahad and we decided to come here and find out if he was a Guineas horse.
“I see him as more of an eight to 10-furlong horse than a 10 to 12-furlong horse. He seems to be versatile ground-wise.”
Spinner completes O'Brien double
Twilight Spinner brought up a quickfire double for O’Brien and Crosse when justifying favouritism in the Coolmore Stud Circus Maximus Irish EBF Athasi Stakes.
The daughter of Twilight Son, who was sent off at 2/1, tracked My Holy Fox – the horse that led the small group that raced in the centre of the course – in the early stages of the seven-furlong Group Three contest and shaped like the most likely winner when pulled out into daylight by Crosse passing the two-furlong pole.
Having taken a short while to be fully wound up and hit top gear, she kept on stoutly in the final furlong to draw just over three lengths clear of the front-running Cigamia at the line.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsO’Brien said: “It was a good performance. We were thinking of running her in the Greenlands, but she has been shaping as though she was crying out to go up to seven furlongs. You would have to say that probably looks her trip now.
“She handled juice in the ground and it was very good to get a Group win as she was Group-placed. Hopefully she can continue to progress.
“We could look at something like the Maurice de Gheest which is over six and a half and the Foret later in the year.”
Blackbeard leaves it late
Aidan O’Brien’s Blackbeard needed every yard to come on top in a thrilling finish to the Listed GAIN First Flier Stakes at the Curragh.
Cork winner Crispy Cat attempted to make all in the hands of Leigh Roche for Michael O’Callaghan and refused to lie down when challenged by the eventual winner throughout the closing stages of the five-furlong contest.
However, it was the Ballydoyle colt, sent off the 11/10 favourite, who had his head in front when it mattered most, responding gamely to Ryan Moore’s urgings and showing a most willing attitude to make it two from two.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsThe son of No Nay Never won in good style at Dundalk on debut and having continued his education here, looks to have booked his ticket to Royal Ascot, for which Betfair went 7/1 from 8/1 for the six-furlong Coventry Stakes.
O’Brien said: “The ground is softer than we thought it was going to be, but he did well to battle back. He’ll go on to Ascot for one of the races over five or six. Ryan said he could get six.
“If you can get a couple of runs before Ascot in this country you are very lucky. There are not that many races.”
