Happily pips Magical in Moyglare

The Moyglare Stud Stakes is proving a very lucky race for Donnacha O'Brien after a late switch to Happily gave him a second Group 1 winner, repeating his victory last year in the race at the Curragh.

With Clemmie a late withdrawal Ryan Moore switched on to Magical the original mount of Donnacha O'Brien.

Moore made the running on the 9/4 shot and she looked to have done enough when seeing off the challenge of market leader Alpha Centauri (2/1 favourite) over a furlong from home.

13/2 shot Happily stayed on to challenge inside the final furlong, however, and got her head in front near the line to grab the spoils by a short-head.

It was a clean sweep for Ballydoyle with September finishing third. Alpha Centauri faded into fifth.

Donnacha O'Brien had teamed up with his brother Joseph to land last year's renewal with Intricately.

Happily was following the footsteps of illustrious siblings Gleneagles and Marvellous by claiming a victory at the highest level.

Happily leads home a 1-2-3 for Aidan O'Brien in the Moyglare Stud Stakes after a thrilling finish with stablemate Magical: pic.twitter.com/YheAUsSogN

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 10, 2017

“That's the third Group 1 winner out of the mare. It's amazing,” said O'Brien.

“She toughed it out and Ryan's filly ran a stormer as well. Seamie's filly ran well and so did Wayne's filly. They'll all step up when they go further than a mile, you'd imagine.

“Donnacha gave her a great ride. He was delighted to be on Magical. In all fairness they never question anything and that was just the way it happened.

“When the other filly didn't run Ryan got on Magical. It's strange the way things happen.

“I wanted to run Clemmie but I promised if heavy came into the description we wouldn't run.

“I was mad to run her. With the view to going to Newmarket and going to the Arc weekend she needed to run. I couldn't do it to her in the heavy ground as she's a real good ground filly.

“She might have been okay but then heavy came into it. We would have run on soft.

“They stay well those fillies (that ran) and are all seven furlong or mile fillies. I wouldn't shorten any of them up.

“They would fillies for the Boussac and the Fillies Mile while Clemmie could go for the Cheveley Park.”