The United States brings up O'Brien's treble

The United States looked like he would be swallowed up in the last two furlongs of the mile and a quarter Group 3 KPMG Enterprise Stakes, but he kept finding more to give trainer Aidan O’Brien a treble at Leopardstown. Elleval looked to be the main dangerous as he cut a swathe through the field assisted by Fergal Lynch. He came through to dispute the lead a furlong out, but couldn’t conquer his rival who prevailed by half a length to justify 2/1 favouritism.

Aidan O’Brien said of the three-year-old son of Galileo: “He toughed it out. I was very worried about the ground as he had a bad run earlier on it.

“That’s as soft as he wants it. He’ll probably get a bit further, but I think he’s better on faster ground.”

David Marnane’s Elleval was incredibly weak in the betting market, drifting from 5/1 in early trading today out to an SP of 14/1.

This was the United States’s third win from four races in a contest that Aidan O’Brien has won four of the last six renewals of. Zand attracted plenty of euro at the track as his price contracted to 5/2 from an opening show of 4/1. However, John Oxx’s three-year-old weakened in the home straight to finish sixth of the seven runners.

Jockey Joseph O'Brien was partnering his second winner of the day.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson