Black Sea, right, gets up in a driving finish© Photo Healy Racing
Black Sea won a thrilling three-way-go for the line at the end of a mile round Leopardstown for the Listed 2,000 Guineas trial.
Rank outsider A Likely Story was sent into the lead by Leigh Roche and was clear a quarter of a mile out.
The remaining three runners knuckled down to their task and began to cut into the deficit as the leader's petrol dwindled.
The three main protagonists whooshed past the toiling front-runner in the final 150 yards with Stenographer just at the head of affairs.
Ryam Moore had switched Black Sea to the inside and the duo came up with a power-packed finish to get up by a head at 7/2.
Stenographer (3/1) and True Solitaire the 8/11 favourite, dead heated for second in a driving finish.
Moore took the ride on Black Sea after his original mount, Johannes Vermeer, was taken out due to being lame.
“Ryan gave him a great ride. He said he will go on better ground and will get further,” Aidan O'Brien said.
“He won his maiden and then was a bit keen in a Group race here. Ryan decided that he'd try and get him to relax today and plenty of pace suited him.
“Ryan said he's a horse that will suit America in time. He'll step up into a trial now going further.”
This gave Aidan O'Brien a quick double after Bhutan delivered in the opener.
Paddy Power cut Black Sea from 33/1 to 25/1 for the Derby.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
