Minardi came good with a vengeance for the champion alliance of trainer Aidan O`Brien and jockey Michael Kinane when deputising for the injured Freud in today`s Group One Independent Heinz 57 Phoenix Stakes at Leopardstown.
O`Brien was registering his third successive victory in this key juvenile contest at the Dublin course as Minardi compensated for being beaten on his debut last month at Ascot.
After watching Minardi romp away from English raiders Superstar Leo and Dora Carrington, O`Brien said: 'We thought he`d burn the grass at Ascot the way he was working at home. But that turned out a slowly-run race and he didn`t know what he was doing that day.'
Minardi however got it right this time, accelerating up the far rail after stablemate Cashel Palace had set a strong early gallop, to beat Superstar Leo by five lengths.
'My mount got the trip well and I was a cosy second, but the winner is obviously a very good horse,' said Michael Hills on dismountingfrom the runner-up.
William Haggas may now switch Superstar Leo back to the minimum trip for the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster next month.
'It was no help to be drawn wide today, but it really didn`t matter at the finish,' he remarked.
Pat Eddery aboard Dora Carrington likewise was impressed by Minardi, having finished a further three-quarters of a length away third.
'Dora Carrington has run a very good race, but we met a smart colt here today,' said Eddery.
O`Brien could target the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket with Minardi, whose winning time of one minute, 12.2 seconds was almost five seconds faster than when former stablemate Fasliyev overcame a downpour to land the odds in soft ground.
'Michael Kinane feels that Minardi will get seven furlongs, and probably a mile,' added O`Brien.
Although the well-fancied English fillies had to be content with second and third money in the Heinz-sponsored feature, Kevin Ryan`s Yorkshire based Eastern Purple proved good enough to justify favouritism in the Group Three Phoenix Sprint Stakes.
However in a race run at a muddling pace, the 2-1 shot only got up close home to short-head 12-1 chance Conormara.
'There was no pace so Basil Marcus had to go and make the early running. He was wise to let Conormara take it up because Eastern Purple likes to pick off the opposition and he did it well enough at the end,' said Irish-born Ryan.
Eastern Purple will now run in the Group One Victor Chandler Nunthorpe Stakes at York on August 24.
'Eastern Purple was gelded earlier in the summer and he was back working a few days later. We hope to get an invitation to Hong Kong, where his owner TC Chiang is in business, and then later on maybe run him in Dubai,' said Ryan.
