Racing:Alfred Nobel made plenty of waves in the market for next year's 2000 Guineas when producing an impressive performance to land the Camas Park & Ashtown House Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.
The son of Danehill Dancer has followed a similar route to many of Aidan O’Brien’s top juveniles having landed the Railway Stakes on his previous start, and he was sent off at 5-4 to give his trainer a remarkable 10th success in the last 12 renewals of this Group One prize.
The juvenile was ridden with the utmost confidence by Johnny Murtagh and once angled wide of the field, he showed good acceleration given the testing conditions to beat stablemate Air Chief Marshal, ridden by the trainer’s son Joseph, by half a length.
The previously unbeaten Walk On Bye never threatened to land a blow but plugged on well enough to finish third.
William Hill were impressed by the victory and make Alfred Nobel 10-1 from 14-1 for next year’s 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Paddy Power and Cashmans are rather more generous at 16-1 from 25-1, while the former have pushed Walk On Bye out to 33-1 from 20-1 for the fillies’ equivalent.
O’Brien said: “He was very green on his first couple of runs, but he’s just one of those horses that can really change gears.
“The last day he won very snug, but Johnny said he just got there too early on him so today he was going to wait and wait.
“The worry was whether he could change gears on that heavy ground, but obviously he’s a very good horse.
“He gets lonely out in front and it was that greenness that resulted in him being beaten on his first two starts.
“He has progressed well and may next run in the Prix Morny in a few weeks’ time, then there is the National Stakes. He’s a proper horse.
“We were delighted Air Chief Marshal has run so well as we thought he was a very smart horse on his first few runs but he had just lost his form.”
Tracey Collins and Pat Shanahan combined to take the two Listed prizes on the card.
Firstly, Arctic maintained his unbeaten record with an impressive success in the Grangecon Stud Stakes.
The Shamardal colt was sent off at 11-4 having made a winning debut at Bellewstown at the start of the month, and stretched right away from his rivals to score by five lengths from Sole Power.
Collins said: “Arctic is a very well bred horse and has plenty of ability.
“He’s always been a very smart two-year-old from the day we got hold of him, he’s always been a natural athlete and we’ve always thought an awful lot of him.
“We thought he was going to be our Marble Hill horse but unfortunately our horses weren’t well at the start of the year.
“We had to bring him to Bellewstown, which wasn’t ideal for him, in order to get him a run today but he learned a lot from the experience.”
His stable companion Girouette proved too good for her rivals in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Sweet Mimosa Stakes.
The 7-2 chance quickened to the lead over a furlong from home and the result looked in little doubt thereafter as she only had to be kept up to her work to beat Perfect Polly by a length and three-quarters.
It was the third leg of a treble on the card for Shanahan, with the rider having hit the mark with the Edward Harty-trained Tovaria in the opening Save 20% Booking On www.curragh.ie Handicap.
Collins said: “She deserved that win.
“Pat gave her a super ride and I’m delighted for my owners as they have been patient with us while my yard had been enduring a quiet spell.
“She is a beautifully-bred filly and now she has got some black type, she has done her job.”