A review of the rest of the action from Leopardstown as Benvenuto Cellini won the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes in great style.
Frankel colt lays down a marker in the Champions Juvenile Stakes
All four of the runners in the Group 2 mile contest were trained by members of the O'Brien family, with Benvenuto Cellini sent off the 2/1-on favourite for Aidan O'Brien in the absence of his stablemate Montreal.
Hardy Warrior attempted to make all under Dylan Browne McMonagle ahead of the favourite in second, A Boy Named Susie in third and Nil Bua Gan Dua held up in last, but the writing looked on the wall when Christophe Soumillon ranged up alongside Hardy Warrior on Benvenuto Cellini two furlongs from home.
From there it was plain sailing for the son of Frankel, who stretched nicely clear of his three rivals who finished in a bunch five lengths back, with Hardy Warrior just holding on for the forecast spot.
O'Brien said: “He’s lovely, he’s coming together now. He won his maiden nicely and is going to be a lovely middle-distance horse next year. I couldn’t be happier.
“He was always going to be Derby trial horse and Christophe said he felt like a French Derby horse today. He can go again this year in the Futurity at Doncaster or one of the French races and start in the Derby trials next year I’d imagine.
“He’s a close compact horse but he’s a big horse and very good walker. He’s a great galloper and really opens up and levels out on the ground when you ask him which is usually a good sign.”
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Ballydoyle dominant once more
Benvenuto Cellini's win was the second of the card for both Soumillon and O'Brien who had earlier teamed up for listed success with Diamond Necklace in the Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes.
The 2/1-on favourite came two and a quarter lengths clear of Sukanya and will now head up in grade for her next start according to the Ballydoyle trainer who said: "That was lovely and he [Soumillon] gave her a perfect ride. She’s a lovely filly who is going to stay further and we’ll take a look at the Fillies’ Mile or Marcel Boussac with her possibly.
“There was a good pace on, we knew at the Curragh she was a filly who was going to need every yard of seven and he was very patient on her. She cost a lot of miney with a great pedigree and he work was always very good too.”
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsBritish raider impresses in CMG Group Stakes
The Karl Burke-trained three-year-old Convergent was an impressive winner of the Group 3 CMG Group Stakes.
Sons And Lovers and Acapulco Bay set the early pace in the mile and a half contest, with Dylan Browne McMonagle again attempting to make all, however, as in the earlier Group contest, his mount was headed two furlongs from home as Acapulco Bay and Convergent launched their challenges.
The 3/1 shot Convergent, who was second in the German Derby on his preceding start, had been keen throughout but stayed on powerfully inside the closing stages and after passing the line in-front was hard for winning jockey Clifford Lee to pull up.
Fleetfoot was never far from the pace and stayed on well to take second place from a brave Sons And Lovers, while favourite Al Aasy had made good headway four furlongs out but never looked like getting heavily involved and was eventually well-held in fifth behind Acapulco Bay.
Burke said: “The horse is heavier and stronger than he was going to the German Derby. And I think he’s just maturing into a very good horse. He always had the potential to put in a performance like that.
“I know it’s only a Group 3 but it’s a Group 1 performance. I don’t think he was doing a lot in front. We knew at the end of last year we had a very good horse and it was just a question of how we could take him.
“I was very impressed by that performance. It’s coming towards the end of the season but he’s in a Group 1 in Germany and could go to that but next year is going to be his year.”
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