Perfect treble provides Donnacha with 80th seasonal success

Donnacha O'Brien partnered his 80th winner of the season at the Curragh today as the Jockeys' Championship clear leader completed a treble on the day on his brother Joseph O'Brien's Perfect Tapatino (7/4f) in the John Sisk & Son Handicap.

Jockey O'Brien was earlier successful in the opening races with Sydney Opera House and Just Wonderful both trained by his father Aidan O'Brien and completed his hat-trick on the son of Perfect Soul, which won under a nicely timed challenge coming from off the pace, beating Vastonea by three parts of a length.

Trainer Joseph O'Brien later commented “he had a good run, on his first run for us, in Leopardstown and then he was supposed to run in Ballinrobe and it was called off, so we came here as it was the obvious next step for him.

“He looked at Leopardstown that he'd win off his mark; it was a mile there and looked a bit short for him.

“Donnacha said he thinks he'll get a mile-and-a-half and he's a fantastically well-bred horse. It my first winner for Charles Fipke so it's great, it's only the second horse we've had, and we're delighted to get a winner for him.

“As I said the horse has a fantastic pedigree, he's starting low but you'd never know where he'd finish up.”

Donnacha O'Brien now leads current Champion Colin Keane 80-64 at the head of this season's Jockey's Championship.

Quotes from Gary Carson