A Friday like no other for the O'Briens

Aidan and Annmarie O'Brien's breeding operation, Whisperview Trading Ltd, is experiencing a day of days, and after Qualify's Oaks stunner earlier in the afternoon over at Epsom, they struck again with Kingfisher in the Listed Seamus & Rosemary McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown.

It gets even better for the O'Brien family when one considers that young Donnacha (16) attained a career high in the saddle by getting Kingfisher up for an impressive win in the prestigious mile and three quarter heat.

Class (2nd in the Irish Derby last June) and staying power are a potent combination as the first-time hooded Kingfisher showed on his second try over this distance.

Held up, the Galileo colt was pulled out to launch his bid inside the final two furlongs but he had plenty on his plate as the principals struck for home.

In particular Panama Hat looked a winner but Kingfisher finished off strongly to eventually get the better of that opponent, and Drifting Mist (3rd), and Shu Lewis (4th), by half a length and the same, with one and three parts of a length to the last-named.

Annemarie O'Brien explained in the aftermath: "The main objective today was to get him to relax and he stayed very well. You would have to let him take his chance in the Gold Cup after that. He came home really strongly.

"Donnacha is doing the Leaving Certificate at the moment and sat exams today for Geography and Maths."

(AM & EM)