Flag completes Leger double for Ballydoyle

Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore completed the Leger double at the Curragh today when Flag Of Honour claimed the Irish version with a tough front-running performance.

The 2/1 favourite came into the race having won the trial over course and distance last month and again bounced out to make the pace.

Ryan Moore asked his mount for an effort passing the two furlong pole and the Galileo colt started to hit top gear in the closing stages.

He pulled away from his field in fine style inside the final furlong to record a convincing two-and-three-quarter length success over Irish Derby winner Latrobe

It's a St Leger double for Ryan Moore and @Ballydoyle as Flag Of Honour turns in an extremely professional display to win the Group 1 Comer Group International Irish St Leger at @curraghrace: pic.twitter.com/k5f5ijhfYJ

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 16, 2018

“We're delighted with him and it's great credit to the lads at home. He's a hardy, tough horse, handles a ease in the ground and stays well,” said O'Brien.

“He ran very well early on in France in the Derby trials and then when we upped him in trip he really blossomed.

“He has enough class for a mile-and-a-half and obviously gets the extended distance very well.

“Ryan said he was very uncomplicated, very genuine, and he really quickened when he wanted him.

“He's obviously very progressive. He came here and ran against the older horses in his trial and was very impressive.

“You couldn't be happier with everything he has been doing and he has a lovely mind . He's progressing all the time.

“Everyone was really happy with him at home and he was really going the right way.

“This was always the plan. With Kew Gardens the better the ground the better he'd like it. This horse will handle an ease and even if it got soft it wouldn't bother him.

“When Order Of St George went off to stud this horse was always going to come here to split them up.

“I asked Ryan about Kew Gardens yesterday and he thought he doesn't have to go Cup trips and this horse is probably the same.

“Order Of St George was a very unique horse. He was able to be competitive in Arcs and races like that and still able to get the Cup trip.

“When you go beyond two miles you're never sure what's going to happen. This horse looks like he could get up to it but whether he gets beyond it and further.... He mightn't need to.

“They didn't go very fast early on today but he picked up. He picked up today like a horse that doesn't need to go extreme distances.

“Usually those extreme trip horses don't pick up that well but he picked up and won well at the line.

“You'd imagine he could go forward but he doesn't have to.

“He's in the Melbourne Cup and we could wait and see but he's after having a busy time.

“He's a horse that will probably get further than this distance next year if he needs to. I suppose we'll go home and see.

“He handles an ease in the ground well. He probably doesn't have to have it but he's very comfortable on it.

“The lads were talking last night that Kew Gardens would have the option of, if he was to go again, running in the Arc.

“When we said to Ryan would he be a Gold Cup horse he said he doesn't need to be a Gold Cup horse so that would kind of suggest to us that he doesn't need to go extreme distance and that's he be very happy at a mile-and-a-half.

“He won over a mile-and-a-half around Longchamp before against three-year-olds so that's what thinking about at the minute but we'll see how he comes out of the race.”