Flag Of Honour gets the better of Twilight Payment© Photo Healy Racing
Flag Of Honour completed a treble at the Curragh for Aidan and Donnacha O'Brien, as he made all in the feature race, the Group 3 Comer Group Irish St Leger Trial Stakes.
Successful in the Curragh Cup over the course and distance last month, the son of Galileo was well-fancied to follow-up this afternoon, going off the 9/4 favourite (from 3s on-course).
Sent straight to the front, the bay colt was strongly pressed from two furlongs out by Twilight Payment but he responded well to pressure, going on to see off that rival by a neck.
The runner-up was returned at 11/2 under Kevin Manning for Jim Bolger, while Giuseppe Garibaldi (7/1) was another length and a half back in third.
Aidan O'Brien, who has now won this race for the last five years in-a-row, said: "He's a hardy horse and he'll handle an ease in the ground too.
"He'll be happy whenever he gets a lead too. He's just a little bit lazy in front.
"They are all Leger horses that ran here and in York. We will divide up where they are going to go.
"This horse will handle an ease in the ground so if it gets soft in either place he'll be happy to go there, even though he handles good ground as well.
"Seamus' horse (Southern France) will come on a lot from the run. Michael was delighted with his horse (Giuseppe Garibaldi). He said he'd be way better with a better pace, he said he was very keen and said that for a horse that ran that keen he ran an unbelievable race."
On Order Of St George, O'Brien added: "He's grand. He has a lot of miles on him and we are minding him away.
"He had a tough middle part of the season and I'm just hoping that we get back to the Leger with him.
"He's at the stage now that we won't be taking any chances with him because every national hunt person in the country is looking for him.
"I'm hoping to get him back for the Leger. I just have to mind him and that's why we didn't come here this year.
"There are plenty of other fellas there if we're not really happy with him."
STEWARDS REPORT
The Stewards interviewed K.J. Manning, rider of Twilight Payment, concerning his use of the whip in the closing stages of this race. Evidence was heard from the rider concerned. Having viewed a recording of the race and considered the evidence the Stewards were of the opinion that K.J. Manning was in breach of Regulation 10.3 (f) in that he had used his whip with excessive frequency, and having considered his clean record in this regard cautioned him on this occasion.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
