Peaceful is Seamie Heffernan's fourth Guineas winner, and is with groom Leigh O'Brien © Photo Healy Racing
Peaceful provided Aidan O'Brien and Seamie Heffernan with more 1,000 Guineas success at the Curragh today as the placings of the Tattersalls-sponsored Classic were dominated by 'O'Brien & sons'.
Peaceful was a maiden winner at jumps venue Thurles on her penultimate start last October and while beaten at Listed level at Newmarket the following month, was the pick of the Ballydoyle pair today, and was returned 3/1 second favourite behind 6/5 favourite and Group 1 winning juvenile Albigna Valeria Messalina made the running with Peaceful chasing but Heffernan moved the winner to the front with over a furlong to race and in the end the pair stayed on well for a two lengths win over Fancy Blue
Runner-up Fancy Blue represented Aidan O'Brien's son and rookie trainer Donnacha O'Brien and ran what could be considered an excellent prep race for an Irish Oaks by staying on strongly to nap second place close home.
O'Brien senior was also responsible for third-placed So Wonderful while the fourth placed filly New York Girl is in the care of Joseph O'Brien.
The win was Aidan O'Brien's ninth in the race while Heffernan was notching a similarly impressive fourth win.
Peaceful is a daughter of wonder-sire Galileo who was himself making history in the race by siring his 85th Group 1 winner.
In the modern era of big foal crops, today's top level win moves Galileo ahead of deceased Danehill as the winning-most Group 1 sire, with 85 wins, since the introduction of the European pattern in 1971.
Following the race, Aidan O'Brien stated “Donnacha (O'Brien) loved her when he won on her in Thurles last year and then she went to Newmarket and couldn't walk a yard in the heavy ground but still kept fighting and wasn't beaten far at the line.
“That's the sign of a really good filly, she just wouldn't lie down. She's obviously very good.
“She loves the ground, skipped along, and is very uncomplicated. We always thought she'd stay a lot further than a mile.
“Epsom has to be a possible, the lads will decide, but it has to be a possible for all those fillies.
“We knew he had nice fillies. They are Galileo fillies and we are just so lucky to have them.
“They are beautifully-bred, big, rangy, scopey fillies and they get better and better.”
O'Brien revealed that the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot could still be on the cards for the winner “if she came out of it well you'd have to look at it, if the ground was nice there.
“We thought some of these fillies could back up in it. The ground is on the slow side in Ascot at the moment.
“It's rapid the way things are happening this season and it's very hard to make plans because it's changing all the time. You don't get much time to think but it's just great to be racing.
“So Wonderful ran well to finish third. I don't think she'll get much further. I thought a mile was going to be her limit.
“She's still a maiden so we could always go back and try and win her maiden with her.”
Regarding runner-up Fancy Blue “Donnacha (O'Brien, her trainer) really fancied his and it was an unbelievable run out of her. He felt she would stay further."
Quotes from Gary Carson
