Classic winners do not usually fit the profile of Bachelor Duke who broke his maiden status to provide English trainer James Toller and jockey Seb Saunders with their biggest career wins in the Irish 2,000 Guineas at The Curragh yesterday.
The 12/1 winner had been unsuccessful in four previous starts and had finished six lengths seventh in the English 2,000 Guineas, but succeeded in turning around form with both Azamour and Grey Swallow yesterday.
Seb Saunders produced the winning son of Miswaki with a determined challenge to head both Azamour and Grey Swallow one hundred yards from home. Bachelor Duke eventually won by one length with Saunders punching the air in delight as he passed the line. A delighted Toller later exclaimed 'we're very lucky to have a horse as good as him. Seb previously won the July Cup for us but this is our biggest success.'
He added 'the horse improved a lot since Newmarket and had been working very well although today's better ground was also a major help. We have no immediate plans for the horse although the St James' Palace Stakes is an obvious target.'
As regards the placed horses, both runner-up Azamour and third placed Grey Swallow are due to clash in the Prix Jean Prat in France on June 6th.
John Oxx, trainer of Azamour, expressed his diappointment at being pipped close hom by the winner although he did say 'he did everything we could have asked of him. He quickened well but I was surprised to see the winner beat him.'
Aidan O'Brien earlier won the Marble Hill Stakes with the unbeaten Russian Blue carrying the colours of the late Robert Sangster. According to O'Brien 'Russian Blue is a smashing horse who will now go for the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.'
However he added 'he worked yesterday but pulled out a bit stiff this morning. It appears to be a thing of nothing though.'
Russian Blue's rider, Jamie Spencer, later completed a double when David Evans' The Kiddykid upstaged his previous run at Newmarket to win the Group 3 Greenlands Stakes. The winner, rated just 5lbs inferior to 4/5 favourite and eventual runner-up Arakan, was reported by Evans' to have been 'wrong' after his poor showing at Newmarket in April.
Evans also added 'he may now go for the Wokingham at Royal Ascot although the owners may want to travel abroad again!'
Jim Bolger left the meeting with his customary winner when Tropical Lady fared out best in the one mile Boylesports 75 Nationwide Handicap under stable jockey Kevin Manning while Dermot Kelly's Troilus won the opening 1m4f handicap under Johnny Murtagh.
Murtagh later completed a double on Soviet Song in the Group 2 Ridgewood Pearl Stakes, one of two races over one mile which recorded a faster time than the 2,000 Guineas.
Soviet Song representing James Fanshawe and the third English trained winner of the day, was produced with a perfectly timed challenge to lead at the furlong pole to score a six furlong success over admirable mare Livadiya.
Fanshawe later commented 'it's great to have Johnny (Murtagh) on our side and he is getting to know our horses well. Nothing went right for Soviet Song last season but I am very grateful to the owners for keeping her in training this season.'
The conlcuding 1m2f handicap was won by Tom Hogan's predominately National Hunt yard when Sand N Sea battled gamely under Robbie Burke to defeat Man Of Arran by a length and a half.
Thomas Weekes.
