Apples And Bananas seen winning his maiden at Killarney © Photo Healy Racing
Hugging the the stands' side rail was the place to be at the Curragh and Apples And Bananas drawn closest to it in stall 14, made full use of that positional advantage to land the first prize of 500,000euro in the Goffs Million.
A Listed winner at Deauville on his previous start, the 5/2 chance made most and dug deep under Dylan Browne McMonagle to see off the sustained challenge of 9/4 favourite Antelope Canyon by a head with the market principals having the race to themselves over the final furlong-and-a-half.
“He's a very tough horse. It was a good aggressive ride from Dylan and he stayed on to the line well,” said O'Brien.
“I'm delighted with him, he's as tough as nails. He's obviously better at a mile but it's a great pot to win and fair play to Goffs.
“It's a fantastic incentive for people to buy horses next week and we'll hopefully be going back to try and find one for next year.
“He had stakes form, went and led all the way and he's a good horse.
“He's a horse that should go ten furlongs next year, he has a bit of stamina in his pedigree as it's an Aga Khan family.
“We'll have a look at one of those Saint-Cloud races and he's in the Futurity Trophy as well, which we'll have a look at too.
"I'd say he might run in one of those races before we pull up for the year.
“I'm delighted to win a good pot and delighted how our other ones ran as well.
“It's great to get the few placings as well, they ran fantastic. Mikey (Sheehy) said that he met a lot of traffic (on third placed Celtic Motif and I have to watch it again. I knew at halfway he was on the stand rail with a whole pack in front of him so she did well to be third.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
