RACING:RODERIC O'CONNOR survived an alarming drift to his right to claim the Group One Criterium International at Saint-Cloud yesterday. In doing so Aidan O'Brien's juvenile paid a huge compliment to his Dewhurst conqueror, the Henry Cecil-trained Frankel, who dispatched him fairly readily at Newmarket.
Johnny Murtagh always had the Galileo colt in a handy position and he was just behind the leaders as the field turned into the straight. He kicked a couple of lengths clear and appeared to have put the race to bed pretty easily, but the juvenile then drifted from the centre of the track to the near side rail, giving Salto an opening.
As soon as Murtagh straightened him out, however, Roderic O’Connor went away again, winning by around a length.
Paddy Power cut Roderic O’Connor to 10 to 1 from 12s for both the 2,000 Guineas and Derby. Frankel was left unchanged at evens for the Guineas and 3 to 1 for the Derby.
The JP McManus-owned, Christy Roche-trained Streets Of Gold came out best in a gruelling Cork Grand National yesterday.
Richard Hughes cut Paul Hanagan’s lead to three at Lingfield as the British jockeys’ championship race entered a gripping final week. Hughes had two winners to the title leader’s one at the Surrey track, with the score now 184-181 in Hanagan’s favour.
