Stakes double for O'Brien & Crosse It's been some Bank Holiday weekend for jockey Shane Crosse and he completed a stakes-race double when 2/1 favourite Twilight Spinner landed the Group 3 Coolmore Stud Circus Maximus Irish EBF Athasi Stakes. This success was achieved in similar fashion to the rider’s earlier winner Buckaroo as the four-year-old tracked the leaders in the centre of the track as three other runners, headed by Cigamia, stayed on the far side. Twilight Spinner and Cigamia disputed the lead a furlong out before the former quickened away to beat that rival by three and a quarter lengths. Lustown Baba was another three quarters of a length away in third. Previously a Listed winner for David O’Meara, the winner had been placed on her first two starts for Joseph O’Brien who, like the winning jockey, was completing a double. O’Brien and Crosse had combined to win the Group 1 Prix Ganay with State Of Rest at Longchamp yesterday. Joseph O'Brien said: “It was a good performance. We were thinking of running her in the Greenlands but she has been shaping as though she was crying out to go up to seven furlongs. You would have to say that probably looks her trip now. “She handled juice in the ground and it was very good to get a Group win as she was Group placed. Hopefully she can continue to progress. “We could look at something like the Maurice de Gheest which is over six and a half and the Foret later in the year.” Quotes from Alan Magee
