O`Brien saddles first three in Guineas

Aidan O`Brien further engraved his name in racing history when saddling the first three home in the Entenmann`s Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh this afternoon.

The master of Ballydoyle sent out the 2/1 favourite Minardi, but last year`s champion juvenile could only manage third place behind the John Murtagh ridden Black Minnaloushe.

Mozart appeared to have stolen a march on the 12 runner field when holding a clear advantage over two furlongs out. However Black Minnaloushe finished strongly on the stands rail, striking the front 100 yards out to eventually score by two lengths from fellow 20/1 chance Mozart.

'He needs a strongly run mile, and the plan was to get there as late as possible. He was left ten lengths at the start in the Tetrarch Stakes, and he got into all sorts of trouble in the French Guineas off a slow pace', said O`Brien.

He added: 'All my horses needed a run or two at the start of this season, but they have been working really well over the last few weeks. Mozart needs fast ground to show his best, while Freud (finished seventh) will drop back to six furlongs'.

Black Minnaloushe and Minardi could now head for the St James` Palace Stakes while Mozart is a possible for the seven furlong Jersey Stakes.

Murtagh was landing his first Irish 2000 Guineas, however the jockey almost missed the boat when he turned down the ride on another O`Brien runner, Freud.

At the time he thought he had the mount on the Richard Hannon-trained Tamburlaine, as that one`s regular jockey Richard Hughes was required to ride in England by his retainer Prince Khalid Abdullah.

By the time Murtagh discovered Hughes had, in fact, been cleared to ride Tamburlaine, O`Brien had fixed up Jamie Spencer for Freud leaving only Black Minnaloushe available at Ballydoyle.

Murtagh revealed that O`Brien`s pre-race advice paid off handsomely: 'Aidan told me to ride him quietly and produce him late because he has loads of pace,' said the jockey.

'I was happy I`d win from two furlongs out, he was travelling so well. I`m really delighted to win my first 2000 Guineas here.'

O`Brien was quick to heap praise on Spencer for his part in the success of Black Minnaloushe.

Having partnered the colt in the French 2000 Guineas, Spencer advised waiting tactics would benefit him and O`Brien said: 'Jamie told me there is only one way to ride this horse and that is to produce him very late and if you do he will be a serious miler.'

For a moment Seamus Heffernan thought he would be grabbing the Curragh glory with Mozart as, approaching two furlongs out, he was fully six lengths ahead of his 11 rivals.

'He loved bowling along and if it was faster ground he wouldn`t have been caught,' said Heffernan.

Minardi`s market rival, the Richard Hannon-trained Tamburlaine, failed to get in a blow on the principals, finishing back in fifth. Hughes blamed the underfoot conditions for the demise of his mount.

'The softest part of the course is at the elbow and once he hit that patch he was off it (the bridle) after that,' said the jockey.

'At Newmarket it was good, fast ground and he travelled all the way.'

Another fancied British raider, the Ben Hanbury-trained Mugharreb, got warm in the pre-race preliminaries and came home a place behind Richard Hughes` mount.

Mugharreb`s jockey Richard Hills said: 'It`s dead ground out there and mine wants it fast.'

Murtagh partnered a treble on the day including the Setanta Media Marble Hill Stakes aboard Mahsusie.

The grey daughter of Mukaddamah showed good speed throughout this Listed event to beat Keepers Hill by three quarters of a length, and local trainer Frank Ennis has a restricted sales race at the Doncaster St Leger meeting as her long-term target.

Julie Jalouse completed the hat-trick for the Meathman when holding off Snowflake by a length in the ten furlong maiden.

Final Exam completed a hat-trick this season when successfully stepping up to Group 3 company in the Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes.

The College Chapel gelding, completing a double for Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen who were on the mark earlier with Mist Of Magic, may head next for the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot.

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