Aidan O'Brien wins race named after late brother-in-law and legendary jockey

Irish Daily Mirror

16 hours ago

Daytona, despite his lack of experience, emerged as the triumphant victor in the first-ever Irish EBF Pat Smullen Stakes at Naas as Aidan O'Brien enjoyed a 71/1 across the cards treble on Saturday.
Having made a winning debut at Gowran last month, Daytona was the 4-5 favourite under jockey Wayne Lordan.
Despite appearing somewhat green when the rider gave him the signal to go on, Daytona outclassed North Shore, breezing to a three-and-a-quarter-length victory and earning a 20-1 quote from Paddy Power for next year's 2000 Guineas.
Chris Armstrong, representing the stable, said: "Jack (Cleary) gave him a lovely introduction in Gowran where for a first timer and he was impressive. He's come along lovely at home since then, but he's still fairly raw.
"They went along at a nice pace and he travelled into it really strong, but when he got there he was still very babyish.
"He has the makings of a lovely horse and next year you could see him over a mile and a quarter.
"He could be one for something like the Futurity or Golden Fleece. He's a horse to look forward to. He'll develop physically, he's a fine big imposing horse and he's by that sire Wootton Bassett."
This mile race is part of the newly introduced 'Smullen Series', comprising 18 middle-distance races for two and three year olds, paying tribute to the late Irish champion jockey who famously won the Derby with Harzand.
Smullen was O'Brien's brother-in-law and Armstrong added: "It's a lovely new series that they've introduced and all these new series initiatives help the programme.
"It's named after a legend and Aidan picked this race out straight after Gowran for him. He's delighted to win the first running of it and hopefully we can win a few more of them."
Daytona's victory completed a treble on the day for O'Brien, who also won the second race at Naas as Neolithic (9/1) scored under Lordan.
But the most of those dramatic of those wins came in the biggest race of the day when Delacroix came from last to first under a vintage Ryan Moore ride to provide O'Brien with his ninth victory in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
A top-quality sextet took their chances in a Group One race, providing the season's first opportunity for three-year-olds to clash with older rivals, with four youngsters facing off against accomplished older horses Ombudsman and Sosie.
Ombudsman, priced at 6-4 and fresh from triumphant strides in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot, picked up pace to take the lead within the last furlong – but Delacroix, who had previously disappointed in the Derby (3/1), staged a remarkable comeback. From appearing to struggle at the back early on, he surged forward under Ryan Moore's vigorous ride to snatch victory by a neck.
"It wasn't the first or the second or the third plan! He began OK, but nobody really wanted to make the running and there was three of us in a line," Moore told ITV Racing.
"Me and William (Buick, on Ombudsman) wanted the same position and I had to give way. He was on an older, bigger horse so I thought we'd wait and go around.
"They got first run on me and he's obviously a very good horse with a good turn of foot. He quickened up really well.
"I think 10 furlongs is fine and if anything he could probably run over shorter. He's a horse we've always held in high regard and he was the only horse in this race that hadn't won a Group One, but he'd threatened to and he's obviously out of a great racemare (Tepin) and by Dubawi."
O'Brien said: "Incredible, I thought Ryan was going to make the running on him. Obviously you don't tell Ryan what to do, but you listen to what he's saying, so when I saw it all changing I didn't know what would happen or what to make of it.
"He ended up where he did and it just kept ringing in my mind that during the week Ryan said to me 'Aidan, I think this horse is a miler', and I always thought he was a mile-and-a-quarter horse.
"As the race went on that was what was ringing in my head, is he a miler or is he a mile-and-a-quarter horse, but obviously Ryan stuck to his judgement because he kept calm and had one go.
"What he did in the last two furlongs looked very different. It was a very good race, the second horse is a very good horse and when you get a four-year-old rated as high as that, you need a three-year-old that's a bit different to beat them.
"Ryan said he changed plans four times in the race today. He found himself where he was but he was calm and collected and clinical."