
Diego Velazquez prevails in Minstrel Stakes
The 11-8 favourite for the Group Two event in the hands of Ryan Moore, he was well away and always in a handy position alongside Adrian Murray's Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up California Dreamer.
Moore may have been low in the saddle inside the final quarter-mile but he had a willing ally and although the challengers were queuing up a furlong from home, it was only David Marnane's 25-1 shot East Hampton who emerged from the pack to lay down a stern challenge in the closing stages.
Diego Velazquez, however, was never headed and even though East Hampton was within a neck at the winning post, the class of the Ballydoyle colt was always keeping him on top.
O'Brien said: 'A mile is probably his trip. We were preparing him for Ascot and we had him in the stalls at Leopardstown, but he got upset and had to be withdrawn (from the Amethyst Stakes) and that upset his Ascot plan.
'I wasn't confident enough to tell Ryan to ride him as forward as he would have liked (in the Queen Anne Stakes) because he hadn't had a run. They only walked the first half of the race, so it was a non event really.
'We knew he would come forward a lot from then to today and he did well to win today over seven. He's a brave horse and Ryan gave him a good ride.
'He's a very well-made horse – powerful, strong, a great walker. Physically as a specimen he's a tank really.
'We'll go back up to a mile now for the Sussex or the Jacques le Marois, something like that.
'He'll have no problem getting back up to nine furlongs or a mile and a quarter at the end of the season.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Family announces death of Irish training great Edward O'Grady
O'Grady trained a whole host of top-class horses over the course of his long and illustrious career and for a long time was the leading Irish trainer at the Cheltenham Festival where he saddled 18 winners, the first being Mr Midland in the 1974 National Hunt Chase. A statement released by his family through Horse Racing Ireland read: 'It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Edward O'Grady, who passed away peacefully yesterday evening at St James's Hospital (in Dublin), surrounded by his family. 'Edward was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also one of the most respected and successful racehorse trainers of his generation. 'Over the course of an extraordinary career that spanned more than five decades, Edward trained just shy of 1,700 winners under rules. His name became synonymous with Irish National Hunt racing, and he was a formidable force at Cheltenham and across the racing world. 'Beyond the winners and the headlines, Edward was a man of deep intelligence, sharp wit, and remarkable warmth. He had friends on every continent, a story for every occasion, and a lifelong passion for the sport, the hunting field and everything equestrian. 'Funeral details will be announced in due course.' Edward O'Grady gives interviews after Cash and Go won at Leopardstown (Niall Carson/PA) Perhaps the most talented horse to pass through O'Grady's hands was Golden Cygnet, a brilliant winner of the 1978 Supreme Novices' Hurdle but fatally injured in the Scottish Champion Hurdle the following month. More recent Festival winners for O'Grady include Pizarro, who landed the 2002 Champion Bumper in the hands of top Flat jockey Jamie Spencer, and the 2003 Supreme scorer Back In Front. Away from Cheltenham, O'Grady saddled Sound Man to win successive runnings of the Tingle Creek at Sandown in 1995 and 1996, while his final Grade One winner was Cash And Go in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival in 2011. Other top-class horses he trained include 2002 Irish Champion Hurdle winner Ned Kelly and his half-brother Nick Dundee, who both carried the colours of Coolmore supremo John Magnier. O'Grady trained for more than 50 years from his base in County Tipperary, taking over at Killeens after the death of his father, Willie – a former dual Irish champion jockey and later trainer – in January 1972. His final winner came via Our Soldier in a Bellewstown handicap hurdle at the start of July, while his last runner, Sovereign Banter, finished unplaced in a Cork sprint on Friday night.


North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Family announces death of Irish training great Edward O'Grady
O'Grady trained a whole host of top-class horses over the course of his long and illustrious career and for a long time was the leading Irish trainer at the Cheltenham Festival where he saddled 18 winners, the first being Mr Midland in the 1974 National Hunt Chase. A statement released by his family through Horse Racing Ireland read: 'It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Edward O'Grady, who passed away peacefully yesterday evening at St James's Hospital (in Dublin), surrounded by his family. 'Edward was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also one of the most respected and successful racehorse trainers of his generation. 'Over the course of an extraordinary career that spanned more than five decades, Edward trained just shy of 1,700 winners under rules. His name became synonymous with Irish National Hunt racing, and he was a formidable force at Cheltenham and across the racing world. 'Beyond the winners and the headlines, Edward was a man of deep intelligence, sharp wit, and remarkable warmth. He had friends on every continent, a story for every occasion, and a lifelong passion for the sport, the hunting field and everything equestrian. 'Funeral details will be announced in due course.' Perhaps the most talented horse to pass through O'Grady's hands was Golden Cygnet, a brilliant winner of the 1978 Supreme Novices' Hurdle but fatally injured in the Scottish Champion Hurdle the following month. More recent Festival winners for O'Grady include Pizarro, who landed the 2002 Champion Bumper in the hands of top Flat jockey Jamie Spencer, and the 2003 Supreme scorer Back In Front. Away from Cheltenham, O'Grady saddled Sound Man to win successive runnings of the Tingle Creek at Sandown in 1995 and 1996, while his final Grade One winner was Cash And Go in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival in 2011. Other top-class horses he trained include 2002 Irish Champion Hurdle winner Ned Kelly and his half-brother Nick Dundee, who both carried the colours of Coolmore supremo John Magnier. O'Grady trained for more than 50 years from his base in County Tipperary, taking over at Killeens after the death of his father, Willie – a former dual Irish champion jockey and later trainer – in January 1972. His final winner came via Our Soldier in a Bellewstown handicap hurdle at the start of July, while his last runner, Sovereign Banter, finished unplaced in a Cork sprint on Friday night.

Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Family announces death of Irish training great Edward O'Grady
O'Grady trained a whole host of top-class horses over the course of his long and illustrious career and for a long time was the leading Irish trainer at the Cheltenham Festival where he saddled 18 winners, the first being Mr Midland in the 1974 National Hunt Chase. A statement released by his family through Horse Racing Ireland read: 'It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Edward O'Grady, who passed away peacefully yesterday evening at St James's Hospital (in Dublin), surrounded by his family. 'Edward was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also one of the most respected and successful racehorse trainers of his generation. 'Over the course of an extraordinary career that spanned more than five decades, Edward trained just shy of 1,700 winners under rules. His name became synonymous with Irish National Hunt racing, and he was a formidable force at Cheltenham and across the racing world. 'Beyond the winners and the headlines, Edward was a man of deep intelligence, sharp wit, and remarkable warmth. He had friends on every continent, a story for every occasion, and a lifelong passion for the sport, the hunting field and everything equestrian. 'Funeral details will be announced in due course.' Perhaps the most talented horse to pass through O'Grady's hands was Golden Cygnet, a brilliant winner of the 1978 Supreme Novices' Hurdle but fatally injured in the Scottish Champion Hurdle the following month. More recent Festival winners for O'Grady include Pizarro, who landed the 2002 Champion Bumper in the hands of top Flat jockey Jamie Spencer, and the 2003 Supreme scorer Back In Front. Away from Cheltenham, O'Grady saddled Sound Man to win successive runnings of the Tingle Creek at Sandown in 1995 and 1996, while his final Grade One winner was Cash And Go in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival in 2011. Other top-class horses he trained include 2002 Irish Champion Hurdle winner Ned Kelly and his half-brother Nick Dundee, who both carried the colours of Coolmore supremo John Magnier. O'Grady trained for more than 50 years from his base in County Tipperary, taking over at Killeens after the death of his father, Willie – a former dual Irish champion jockey and later trainer – in January 1972. His final winner came via Our Soldier in a Bellewstown handicap hurdle at the start of July, while his last runner, Sovereign Banter, finished unplaced in a Cork sprint on Friday night.