Just Wonderful beating Peach Tree© Photo Healy Racing
The wheels on the Ballydoyle bus are rolling smoothly again and the Group 3 Flame Of Tara Irish EBF Stakes at the Curragh today illustrated that as Aidan O'Brien trained runners filled the first three placings, headed by winner Just Wonderful
An untimely virus hit O'Brien's all-conquering yard mid-season but results have been very kind in recent weeks with Just Wonderful today leading home stablemates Peach Tree and Fleeting
Both O'Brien and his son Donnacha O'Brien, who now leads Colin Keane by 15 winners (79-64) at the head of the Jockeys' Championship, were completing opening races doubles, having won the curtain-raiser with Sydney Opera House
Following Just Wonderful's success, O'Brien senior stated “we weren't sure about her getting the mile but Donnacha was very happy. She has a lot of ability and she probably likes coming from behind a little bit.
“He put her asleep and she relaxed lovely for him. The Boussac (Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac run on the same day as the Arc at Longchamp) and those races are all there for her.
“The lovely thing about her is that she's a great traveller, she's very smooth through a race and gets there very easily. She probably wouldn't want to be there too long. We couldn't be happier.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
