Illusive in full flow under Joseph O'Brien© Photo Healy Racing
Illusive for Aidan and Joseph O’Brien, made virtually all as he got off the mark on his third start in the Foxrock Maiden.
The son of Galileo, who is a full-brother to Rip Van Winkle, disappointed on his debut at the Curragh last September but finished a decent fourth on his first start as a three-year-old over the course in April.
Sent off at 10/3 this evening he disputed the lead in the early stages before hitting the front seven furlongs out.
He asserted when ridden a furlong and a half from home and he kept on well in the closing stages to score by three parts of a length. First Sitting (11/2 from 4’s) kept on to take second under Leigh Roche for Dermot Weld while Break My Mind was a further two and a quarter lengths back in third under Billy Lee for Eddie Lynam at 14/1. Lucent Dream was sent off the well-backed 3/1 favourite (available at 7’s this morning) but he could only manage fifth under Shane Foley for John McConnell.
Aidan O’Brien said afterwards: "It’s great that he has won and hopefully he will come forward from it. He won nicely. He quickened up well but he probably got a bit tired on the ground as he hasn’t run for a while."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
