MARK DOWN the 1997 Guineas weekend as a bench-mark for the future. After Desert King trounced his highly-rated opposition to add yesterday's Lexus Irish 2,000 Guineas to Saturday's 1,000 success by Classic Park, it is easy to imagine Aidan O'Brien casting the sort of all-enveloping shadow over racing's future that is out of all proportion to the 27-year-old's slight figure.
Characteristically, the quietly-spoken training maestro praised his back-up team yesterday, modestly claiming to be "just the spokesman". But with the financial clout of owners John Magnier and Michael Tab or behind him, Desert King may be only a sign of things to come.
If it is, it will be something to look forward to, because Desert King won his classic in the style of a true classic racehorse. Revoque, unlucky behind the hugely-hyped Entrepreneur at Newmarket was a warm favourite on a warm day, but although he cruised up to lead at the two furlong marker, all he ultimately achieved was to give Desert King a lead.
Christy Roche, who had been down in the dumps after his unlucky run on Strawberry Roan in the 1,000 Guineas, swooped on Desert King going into the last furlong and the 47-year-old veteran rider, winning the race again after his first victory on Ballymore in 1972, drove the colt three lengths clear of the 33 to 1 shot Verglas, with the favourite's stable companion two lengths back in third. Revoque faded dramatically to sixth.
I was very confident our horses would run well this weekend and I know that when Desert King gets into a battle he really digs in, said smiling O'Brien, celebrating his second classic on two days. It's a double which even his legendary predecessor in Ballydoyle, Vincent O'Brien, never achieved, which throws the potential for the successor into even greater focus. The last trainer bring off the double was Paddy Prendergast in 1963 and O'Brien is the sixth trainer to achieve it.
A grinning Roche emerged after weighing in and said: "It's great to come out smiling. It was an easy race to ride. I had a great run in the box seat, and although I was pushing a bit three furlongs out, was only waiting to push the button."
Thoughts immediately turned to a Derby date for Desert King, but British owner Michael Tab or also has Entrepreneur, odds on favourite for Epsom, racing in his colours. He said: "My first thoughts are that Desert King will run in the Irish Derby."
Revoque was a huge disappointment after travelling like a winner for much of the race, and John Reid said: "He took me to the two furlong marker but emptied out completely." Peter Chapple-Hyam reported that Revoque and Romanov returned with dirty noses.
Verglas delighted his connections and jockey Willie Supple predicted he will stay further. "I followed Christy all the way but I couldn't go with him.
The glow of a new O'Brien and a resurgent Ballydoyle had been reinforced earlier when a potential champion emerged in the imperial shape of King Of Kings. Rarely, if ever, has a two-year-old made such a brilliantly impressive debut as this Sadlers Wells colt did in the Glengarrif Maiden. King Of Kings simply pulled Roche's arms out to a furlong-and-half from home and, when let go, sauntered eight lengths clear without turning a hair.
Legendary Ballydoyle names such as Nijinsky and Sir Ivor were freely bandied about as an awed audience tried to find comparisons, and Ladbrokes immediately made King Of Kings their 14 to 1 favourite for the 1998 2,000 Guineas.
"He's a good price!" quipped O'Brien, who is now likely to run the colt in Royal Ascot's Coventry Stakes. "This is a very, very special horse. He's always been a natural. Two days after he first came to us he would have won. His work has always been brilliant and Christy says he's never sat on anything like him."
In contrast, last year's Irish Oaks winner Dance Design is the finished article, and she proved it again when making all to win the Tatersalls Gold Cup by three lengths from Oscar Schindler. Punters plunged on the English colt Dr Massini, but remarkably, Pat Eddery's mount walked out of his starting stall and refused to race.
She is simply sheer class and courage and we'll decide between the Coronation Cup and the Prince Of Wales Stakes for her next," trainer Dermot Weld said.
Dr Johnson provided an Irish Derby hint of his own by winning the Conrad International Stakes, where the O'Brien-Roche favourite Shell Ginger finished lame in fourth. It was the only wrong step taken by the team all day.
The weekend's attendance at the Curragh was 16,000, up 3,000 on last year. Bookmaker turnover was also spectacularly up from £439,318 last year to £819,758 this year. Tote turnover was up £35,388.
