By Brian Fleming
Ballydoyle maestro Aidan O'Brien and former champion Mick Kinane dominated proceedings at a sparsely attended Leopardstown on Sunday afternoon when coming away with a treble, courtesy of Tribal Drum, Bach and Amethyst.
Cork runner-up Tribal Drum, supported from 2/5 to 2/7 favourite, needed plenty of encouragement from the Ballydoyle stable jocky to hold off newcomer Baladeur and Declan McDonogh by a head in the opening five furlong maiden.
'He's a big strong horse, who wants fast ground. Mick (Kinane) said he hated that ground,' remarked O'Brien, of the Tabasco Cat colt.
Half-an-hour later, Bach, winner of the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot last June, kept his unbeaten record intact when making evry yard a winning one to defeat market rival Legal Jousting in the 2,000 Guineas Trial.
'I'm very happy as he hates that soft ground. He'll stay and has stamina and the plan is to come back for the Derby Trial (May 14th) here,' said O'Brien.
The Ballydoyle maestro found the winners enclosure again after the 1,000 Guineas Trial when easy-to-back Amethyst (8/11-11/8f) drew clear from the two furlong pole to score eased down by five lengths.
'She has some of the brilliance of her brother (King Of Kings), doesn't she,' said O'Brien, before he added, 'She's a strong possibility for Newmarket.'
Cork firm Cashmans make the daughter of Sadlers Wells a 25/1 chance for the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket next month.
Grand Finale (9/4-2/1) responded gamely to Pat Smullen's urgings to head a gallant Sinndar (5/2-11/4-5/2) inside the final furlong of the Ballysax Stakes.
Dermot Weld holds the Sadler's Wells colt, who turned over Ballydoyle hotpot Apollo Victoria at Gowran earlier this month, in high regard: 'He's a nice horse with a good future and he'd like better ground. The Gallinule Stakes is next and he could be an Irish Derby horse,' said Weld, who rounded off the session with a double when newcomer Muakaad (Pat Smullen) duly obliged in he 3-Y-O Maiden.
John Oxx was very pleased with the runner-up, 'Making the running didn't help but he ran a cracker and the Derby Trial back here is next for him.'
Shakespeare (4/5-6/4f) disappointed and trailed in a distance last with Aidan O'Brien remarking, ' That was not his true form and we'll take him home to check him out.'
Light-weight Simpany (12/1) held off the fast-finishing Molly-O by 3/4L in the 1m1f handicap but there was a sting in the tail for winning rider Timmy Houlihan as he was handed a two day ban for careless riding on the Sheena Collins-trained 12/1 scorer.
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