Double Up for Ballydoyle at Down Royal Once raced as a juvenile, Changingoftheguard was reported to have progressed well over the winter by the team at Ballydoyle and after shedding his maiden tag at the fourth attempt last time the three-year-old took the switch to handicap company in his stride coming home strongly to take the Specsavers 2 for 1 Ulster Derby. Backed from 7/2 into 5/2, the son of Montjeu came from well off the pace, storming up the outside from the two furlong pole, getting on top inside the last to prevail by two lengths from Drunken Sailor. The three-year-old was a E200,000 purchase at Goffs in 2007 and he is from the family of Mr Combustible. Winning rider, Colm O'Donoghue said: "Aidan (O’Brien) will be delighted with this. He travelled well throughout and quickened up really well." O'Brien and O'Donoghue completed a nine and a half to one double when Crowfoot comprehensively opened his account on outing number four in the Taxi 90 33 33 33 European Breeders Fund Maiden. This Sadler's Wells colt went to France for his first run of the season which he reportedly needed badly. The hope was that he'd jump forward a lot from it and progress as the season progressed. However last time at Navan he found the ground too testing when disappointing. Two to one favourite for this extended mile and a quarter contest, he travelled well to get to the front under a furlong out before going on to comfortably beat Dactik by four lengths.
