Latrobe back in the winners enclosure

Irish Derby winner Latrobe got his head back in front for the first time since his big day at the Curragh last year when taking the Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown this evening.

The Camelot colt had given brothers Joseph and Donnacha O'Brien a memorable day last June and struck again for the siblings in tonight's Group 3 contest.

Sent off a 9/10 shot in the mile-and-a-half contest the hotpot tracked leader Blenheim Palace before being asked to hit the front a furlong-and-a-half from home.

Latrobe ground out victory in the closing stages, holding Guaranteed at bay by three-parts-of-a-length.

“He did it nicely. He had a nice position, Donnacha said he happy throughout and he said he was galloping on well at the line,” said the winning trainer.

“The main reason for coming here was that Lloyd and Nick (Williams) felt that it would be important to get a win under his belt this year and then we could make a plan for the second half of the year.

“He has options all over the place. He could go to Australia but he has options in America as well, there are places like Japan and there are big races here as well. I'm not sure where exactly he's going to go yet.

“He seems pretty versatile trip-wise as he's ran well at ten furlongs and also at one-mile-six this year.

“It was a messy race but he did have the right position. Donnacha said he always felt like he was well in command.

“You'd be delighted to get his head back in front.”

Donnacha O'Brien added:- “He won nicely. He's doing things right now as he's gone completely relaxed.

“I probably ended up going a bit slow for my own good but it's nice the way he switched off like that and he stays well in the last two furlongs, there is plenty in there.

“He's a lovely horse and I'm sure there are plenty of options for him.”