O'Brien keeping pace in Championship race

Donnacha O'Brien is keeping tabs with leader Colin Keane at the head of the Jockeys' Championship and the dual-Classic winning jockey partnered his father Aidan O'Brien's Bond Street to a deserved second career success at Leopardstown today, in the Leopardstown Golf Centre Rated Race.

Bond Street, a maiden winner at Dundalk in early May, met trouble in-running when second at the Curragh on his previous start but today went clear of his rivals in the home straight before beating Mattymolls Gaga by three lengths.

The win moves jockey O'Brien on to the 25 winner mark of the season, left with Declan McDonogh and one shy of Championship leader Colin Keane, who had earlier won the opening race with Moravia

O’Brien, successful in recent weeks on Saxon Warrior and Forever Together in the English 2,000 and Oaks respectively, later said “I wanted to get forward on him but he was a bit slow away so it just took me a furlong to get up there. I know he stays further and once I did it get up there it was fairly straight forward.

“He’s consistent and he is what he is, quick ground and seven furlongs up to a mile and a quarter he’ll run his race.

“If he gets a few pounds he may get into one of the Royal Ascot handicaps but I’m not sure what they want to do.”

Quotes from Alan Magee