Aidan O'Brien's domination of the domestic scene has been virtually total since his move to Ballydoyle, but it has taken until now for his talents to be fully appreciated across the water.
Well clear in the trainers' table in Britain he took York by storm last week with four high profile winners.
The performance of Mozart highlights his prowess. The colt finished second in the Irish 2000Guineas over a mile before hitting the winning trail with successes over 7f, 6f and 5f. The latest victory came despite the inconvenience of a slipped saddle in the Group1 Nunthorpe Stakes on Thursday.
Add Johannesburg's impressive display in France on Sunday and Hawk Wing's improved performance at the Curragh a day earlier this trainer can do no wrong.
The aforementioned juveniles give Ballydoyle virtually total domination in this category. I say virtually because John Oxx produced a decent filly to win at Fairyhouse on Sunday. The bare form of Minatonic's half-length victory from Bringontheclowns does not tell the full story. Bringontheclowns shot clear early in the straight and by the time Minatonic was extricated from the pack she had four lengths to make up and less than a furlong in which to do it. By the line she was being eased up by Johnny Murtagh for a comfortable win.
Jockey Warren O'Connor's run of bad luck continued at Gowran Park on Thursday when his mount was one of three horses brought down in a fillies maiden. Having broken his wrist in a fall at Clonmel in May he was only back riding three weeks and must again brace himself for a long stint on the sidelines having chipped a bone in his ankle.
Wayne Smith was found culpable and given a hefty eight-day suspension by the Gowran Park stewards. In my opinion this was rough justice. Smith was chasing the leaders on the inner using his whip in his left hand. One and a half furlongs out he switched his whip to his right hand and gave his mount two more smacks. Suddenly she veered left, Smith put down his whip and tried to avert the impending collision, but to no avail. His mount, Rasana, brought down Lauras Theme who in turn tripped up Camden Lady and she then fell in front of Dimah.
The stewards adjudged that Smith had ridden carelessly, but I feel that it was only because three horses were brought down that they gave him such a severe sentence. Horses have minds of their own and if one decides to do something there is little a jockey can do to stop it. On the same Gowran card two other runners took similarly erratic courses, but no inquiries were held. In the 2-Y-O maiden Seeking The Thrill dived left coming out of the stalls, but as she was drawn on the outside no damage was done. Silverware entered the straight on the outside in the 1m handicap, but with over a furlong to run had drifted on to the rail again no damage = no enquiry.
The stewards are easy to knock and have on the whole a difficult job to perform. Maybe their task could be made easier if they could follow the leadset by the judge at the Curragh last Saturday. He had to sort out a blanket finish to the Belgrave Stakes and aided by his recently improved equipment had little trouble nominating the winner and second, but these two horses obstructed his view of the third, fourth and fifth. With no other option left he called a triple dead heat for the minor position.
Photo finishes are normally clear-cut, a horse has won or not. Steward's enquiries into interference are far more clouded and it must on occasions be left to the toss of a coin as to whether a winner is disqualified or not. So why not follow the judge's lead? When it is virtually impossible for the stewards to say without doubt that the winner did not improve his position after causing interference they could call a dead heat.
This seems like a simple solution to a complex problem. Everyone wins! Except the bookmakers of course.
The beleaguered layers may be in for some extra business on Champion Stakes day at Leopardstown next month as the Tote's casual staff are threatening to strike over pay and conditions.
Finally, a huge crowd turned up at Fairyhouse on Sunday, but unfortunately most were in search of the market which was cancelled due to an outbreak of flat racing and did a quick u-turn.
