Classy winners in Classic season!

CLASSIC season continued apace since the last column, with some of the most prestigious races in the calendar taking place in Ireland, England and France over the last four weeks.

There was a very familiar feel to the results as master trainer Aidan O’Brien took no less than five of the six prizes on offer back to Ballydoyle. The only anomaly, The Oaks at Epsom, was kept in the family though with son Joseph saddling the winner Thundering On, giving him his second British Classic winner as a trainer after the 2020 St Leger Stakes with Galileo Chrome.

The weekend of May 23 and 24 had The Curragh in County Kildare as first on the agenda, for the running of both the Irish 2000 and 1000 Guineas Stakes. Gstaad, 4/11 favourite and ridden by Ryan Moore, took the honours in the former to give his trainer a record extending 13th win in the race.

Always up with the pace he took the lead a furlong out and went clear by three lengths in the dying stages. Although visually impressive it was probably a weak enough renewal, and he did hang a little under pressure, so it’s difficult to tell exactly what was achieved given he was also miles clear on ratings. Deeper waters in his next engagement(s) may well give a better idea as to his talents.

The Irish 1000 was run on the following day and produced a slightly surprising winner. Precise, ridden by Wayne Lordan, was sent off at 4/1 and managed to overcome an awkward start to prevail over stablemate True Love by around two and half lengths.

True Love, a warm order 4/6 favourite, had previously won the Newmarket version under similar circumstances—Precise was back in seventh—but seemed to be the stable number one given prices and jockey bookings. In truth she never really hit the same heights under Ryan Moore as she did that day, her loss was most certainly Precise’s gain.

Such is the strength in depth of the Coolmore/Ballydoyle operation that these types of results, where the apparent second—or sometimes third—string outperforms the favourite, are a common enough occurrence now that they shouldn’t come as much of a shock/surprise to many. But yet the opposite seems to be the case judging by social media comments etc. Regardless this was another record extending performance, taking Aidan’s successes in this race to 12.

Chantilly, just outside Paris, was next up for the French Derby (Prix du Jockey Club) on May 31. Constitution River (12/5 favourite) took first place over stablemate Hawk Mountain with Montreal back in third, giving an impressive 1-2-3 for Aidan O’Brien. Ridden by Ryan Moore he came from just off the lead to take it up around two furlongs out, keeping on well for pressure to get the job done in workmanlike fashion more than anything else. He was drawn widest of all though in stall 16, usually a death sentence in this race, so maybe the performance was a bit more notable than the visuals suggest.

The Oaks and Derby Stakes then took place across June 5 and 6. The fillies were first up, and as previously mentioned, Joseph O’Brien’s Thundering On took first place at a soft and wet Epsom at odds of 5/1. Ridden by Dylan Browne McMonagle she came from last to first under a confident and assured ride to win by around four lengths.

Dylan, a native of Letterkenny, County Donegal, is one of Ireland’s rising stars in the game and had already been on the receiving end of some enthusiastic praise from a few respected authorities. Rides like this will only enhance his growing reputation and it would be no surprise to see him pick up one of the very top jobs in the not too distant future.

The next day’s Derby was run in worse than ideal conditions and was taken by Christmas Day with Ronan Whelan aboard. Given the ground, the weather conditions and the spread of the horses across the track it won’t go down as a vintage Derby—the race was one of a succession of surprising results on the day—but no one can ever take it away from connections now that it is in the history books.

Finally we were back at Chantilly again for the French Oaks (Prix de Diane) on June 14, where Diamond Necklace added this race to her previous success in the French 1000 Guineas. The 1/2 favourite, ridden by Ryan Moore, was held up in mid division before making her way in to the lead with a furlong to go and bravely outfought Pink Panthera to take the race by a neck or so.

June 16-20 sees the biggest Flat Racing Festival in Europe taking place at Royal Ascot. Five days of high quality, competitive action, a multitude of Group One and Two races plus valuable Listed and Handicap events acting as back up. All played out in front of the great and the good dressed in their finery.