O'Brien's double up with Father Frost The well-regarded Father Frost got up in the nick of time to win the TicketSales Online corkracecourse.ie Maiden, providing Aidan and Joseph O'Brien with a double on the card. The son of Rip Van Winkle cost 300,000 guineas as a yearling and he opened at 9/4 last night. He was well-supported throughout the day and started on-course at just 11/10 before drifting out to 7/4 at the off. Settled in fifth on the outer he improved into third two furlongs from home and soon came with his challenge. He was ridden from over a furlong out and while he looked set for second inside the final furlong he found another gear close home, getting up to beat Frozen Lake by a head. The runner-up was returned at 4/1 (from 11/2) under Declan McDonogh for John Oxx while Laharde (10/1) completed the placings a further two and a half lengths back in third under Connor King for David Marnane. Joseph O'Brien said afterwards: "He has always been a nice horse and has shown a lot of speed. He can be free but settled real nice and I think six or seven furlongs is his optimum trip. "I was conscious of not giving him too hard a race but always felt he was going to get there. He has a lot of speed and could be a horse for the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot." The winner is entered in both the Irish 2000 Guineas and the Irish Derby. Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
