Leopardstown Sunday: Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore win Guineas trials
First up for the Ballydoyle duo came Frankel colt Hans Andersen, who skipped clear to win the five-runner Group 3 Ballylinch Stud 'Red Rocks' 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes from Bold Discovery.
The 8/13 market leader was ridden in fourth early but quickened smartly to collar stablemate Carracci a furlong and a half out, before being kept up to his work to score by two and a half lengths from the Jessica Harrington-trained second-favourite.
Bookmakers reacted by cutting Hans Andersen to 33/1 for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in early-May.
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O'Brien said: “I’m delighted with him. He could be an Irish Guineas horse or a French Derby horse and that’s what we are looking at. He had experience from last year. He quickened up well and is a very good mover.
“He’s obviously a good ground horse, he moves very long and low. That’s not his ground but he got through it.
“It’s never ideal (running on heavy ground) but we always run if we can at all. It’s never going to suit every horse all the time, but at least he got started. All that could happen is that he might not win.
“He could look at the French Guineas or the Irish Guineas on the way to the French Derby.”
On paper, the Group 3 Ballylinch Stud 'Priory Belle' 1,000 Guineas Trial Stakes appeared to have a bit more strength in depth, but once again it was the O'Brien-trained first-string who delivered the goods, the experienced Never Ending Story coming with a strong late run to justify 2/1 favouritism.
The daughter of Dubawi was already a winner at the track having taken last summer's Silver Flash Stakes and she went on to prove herself on much softer ground too towards the back-end of the season, finishing fourth to Tahiyra in the Moyglare and third behind Blue Rose Cen in the Marcel Boussac at Longchamp on Arc weekend.
That ability to handle deep conditions came in useful on Sunday as, after settling in midfield from her wide draw, Moore brought Never Ending Story with a steady bid towards the centre of the track and ultimately got on top with plenty of time to beat the prominently-ridden Matilda Picotte (6/1) by two and a half lengths, with 11/2 chance Zarinsk back in third under champion jockey Colin Keane.
Paddy Power reacted by making the winner 8/1 from 20/1 for the 1000 Guineas, while Sky Bet went 12/1 from 25s.
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O’Brien said: “We are delighted with her as she hadn’t really come yet, you can see it in her coat.
“She can go to one of the Guineas and the step up in trip shouldn’t be a problem to her.
“(Stablemate) Meditate is the plan for Newmarket and she could go for one of the other Guineas. We will go gently on her."
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