Joseph O'Brien landed his first Classic with a masterful ride on his father Aidan's Roderic O'Connor in the Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh.
The 7-2 shot, who finished a well-beaten 11th in the Newmarket equivalent last time, had nothing of the calibre of Frankel in the field this time and travelled sweetly in the lead all the way.
Newmarket runner-up Dubawi Gold who was sent off the 7-4 favourite, was held up at the back of the field and Roderic O'Connor had enough in the locker to resist his late charge by three-quarters of a length.
The David Barron-trained Hitchens led home a British one-two in the Group Three Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes.< Tiddliwinks looked to have made a decisive move when he zipped past favourite Sing Softly to take the lead, but Fran Berry pulled out Hitchens with a furlong to go and the 11-4 shot swept past to score by a length and a quarter.
The other Group Three race on the card, the TRI Equestrian Stakes, was won in emphatic style by the Dermot Weld-trained Emulous (11-4).< Lolly For Dolly was seeking a third victory at this level this season and led two furlongs out, but Pat Smullen had the move covered on Emulous and swept past to score by a length and three-quarters.< Power (6-4 favourite) and Tough As Nails matched strides up front throughout the TP Waters EBF Marble Hill Stakes and just when the latter looked to have edged it, Aidan O'Brien's colt battled back to score by a short head in the hands of Seamie Heffernan.
Jim Bolger's newcomer Janey Muddles (11-1) landed an eyecatching victory in the Stay At The Brandon Hotel Tralee EBF Maiden, nailing Belle Passe by a head after travelling in last place for most of the way under Kevin Manning.
Andrew Oliver's Super Say (6-1 joint-favourite) landed a nice gamble in the Emirates Equestrian Federation Handicap and Ger Lyons' Future Generation (11-2 favourite) powered home in the Saadiyat Handicap.
