Curragh Monday review & replays: Joseph O'Brien dominates feature races

Visualisation makes all in feature

Joseph O’Brien’s Visualisation made all under Declan McDonogh to win the Coolmore Stud Sottsass Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes as Luxembourg was unable to land a blow on his seasonal reappearance.

The one-time Derby favourite and dual Group One winner was sent off 10/11 favourite to make a winning return and looked to have every chance when Wayne Lordon asked his mount for an effort two furlongs from home. However, he failed to pick up with any real enthusiasm leaving Visualisation to steal the show at 12/1, and go one better than his second in the Alleged Stakes last month.

On that occasion his from-the-front tactics saw him reeled in by Point Lonsdale late on, but the five-year-old refused to be passed on this occasion, holding on gamely from last year’s winner Layfayette to score by one and a half lengths. Piz Badile was third.

“Declan gave him a great ride. The horse loves soft, tacky, ground,” said O’Brien. “He was third in this last year on goodish ground. He missed most of last season after a hold-up but he’s come back in real good shape this season. He’s a mud lover.

“Declan said that he felt he moved a bit early on him the last day and he was going to move a bit later today. He said his kick lasted him until 100 yards from the line last time and that he was going to wait an extra 100 yards today. He got him to the line today. I have to say it was all up to Declan and he gave him fantastic ride. He’s been a good horse for a while and that ground is his thing. Wherever he goes the ground will have to have soft in the description.”

Luxembourg ran 'lovely race'

Luxembourg was slightly hampered a furlong out but stayed on one-paced for fifth.

His trainer Aidan O’Brien said: “It was his first run of the year and he was a bit rusty. The plan was to come here, then come back for the Tattersalls Gold Cup and that is still what we are going to do. He ran a lovely race, he’ll come on plenty for it and being a four-year-old colt first time out, there’s always going to be a lot of improvement.

“The plan was here, the Tattersalls, Royal Ascot over a mile and a quarter (Prince of Wales’s Stakes) and then step him up to a mile and a half possibly for the King George. The first run is over and hopefully he comes back fine after this.”

O'Brien dominates Athasi Stakes

Honey Girl led home a one-two for trainer Joseph O’Brien in the Coolmore Stud Circus Maximus Irish EBF Athasi Stakes.

Placed at Group Three level and sixth in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last season for Henry de Bromhead, Honey Girl changed hands for 180,000 guineas in November and made an immediate impact on her debut for new connections when notching a first career victory at the Curragh in late March.

The four-year-old faced a step back up in class for this seven-furlong Group Three, but proved more than up to the task in the hands of Dylan Browne McMonagle, picking up well without being asked for maximum effort to prevail by an impressive three and a half lengths. The winner’s high-class stablemate Agartha was best of the rest in second, with the William Haggas-trained 5/2 favourite Queen Aminatu a disappointing seventh of eight runners.

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O’Brien said of Honey Girl: “She had some very smart form last season for Henry de Bromhead and ran very well in Group One company. She won very well here last time and it’s nice to see her back that up with another good performance today. She’s an exciting filly for the future. It’s nice to see her back up a good run with another good run as she didn’t always so that. They get confidence from winning, there is no doubt about that, and it’s nice to win a Group race with her.

“We don’t have anything immediately in mind, but her owners are Australian and they are going to Royal Ascot so there is a fair chance she’ll turn up there somewhere, but she’ll probably be at her best in the spring and autumn when she has a bit of juice in the ground. I was very proud of Agartha’s run. She disappointed us a little bit here the first day of the season but it was nice to see her come back to nearly her best form today. I’m sure there is more to come from her.”

Next stop France for Paddington?

Paddington (5/6 favourite) won the Listed Coolmore Stud Blackbeard Irish EBF Tetrarch Stakes and was cut to 7/1 from 10/1 by Betfair for the French 2000 Guineas.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt was also trimmed in the antepost market for the Betfred Derby at Epsom (20/1 from 25s with Sky Bet) after making it 2-2 for his three-year-old campaign on the back of a comeback success in the Madrid Handicap at Naas last month.

Seamie Heffernan's mount looked in command from a long way out on his return to the Curragh, where he won his maiden by five lengths last October, and ultimately had a length and a half to spare over 6/1 stablemate Drumroll (Wayne Lordan).

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O’Brien said: “He came forward lovely from Naas. He won his maiden very easy last year and everyone has been delighted with him at home. He won the three-year-old handicap at Naas over seven furlongs and this was his first step up to a mile. We thought that he’d get it and that he could even get further. He’d have the option of going to the French Guineas or the Irish Guineas and then he could end up being a French Derby horse after that. He handles the ground well, he’s by Siyouni out of a Montjeu mare so should handle it on both sides. We’re delighted with him.”

Juveniles on Royal Ascot trail

Paddington completed a Listed race double on the card for the O’Brien-Heffernan combination, with 5/2 shot His Majesty earlier making a winning debut in the GAIN First Flier Stakes. O’Brien is hopeful the son of No Nay Never can earn himself a place on his team for Royal Ascot.

“He did it lovely. He’s a lovely, big, sleepy horse,” he said. “Seamus said he had loads of speed but he was relaxed, he said when he clicked he found plenty. He’s like a four-year-old, a big mature horse.

“You always try to get two runs before Ascot but it’s hard enough to do it here because there aren’t many races. It’s a big advantage if you can. Wherever we can get him out again, we’ll try.”

Aidan’s son Donnacha O’Brien also has the Royal meeting in mind for Do It With Style (3-1) after her successful introduction in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden under Gavin Ryan.

“We thought she was smart. I was a little bit worried about the ground, she’ll be better on better ground, but it was nice to see her do that,” said the trainer. “I’ll speak to the owners and see but I suppose the Albany Stakes could definitely be an option.”

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