Spirit proves no fluke
CLASSIC also-ran Spirit Of Valor found his niche with a convincing all-the-way win to complete a Group Two double for Aidan O’Brien in the Qatar Airways Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh.
Unplaced in both English and Irish 2,000 Guineas won by his stablemate Churchill, Spirit Of Valor had belied his odds of 661 when second in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot on his latest start.
He showed that effort was no fluke with a fluent success. Ryan Moore was able to dictate affairs on the 5-2 joint-favourite, who won with a length and three-quarters to spare over British raiders So Beloved and Stormy Antarctic.
‘Over six or seven furlongs on fast ground he’s obviously a real good horse,’ said O’Brien.
‘He had a very good run in Ascot. We tried him at a mile the first day and it was stretching him a bit. Then we came back to a mile on soft ground. We might have a look at the Lennox in Goodwood or something like that.
‘There’s no doubt he’s improving. He’s by War Front so he would like nice ground and the reason they do is because they are all fast horses.’
Elizabeth Browning (12-1) had initiated the O’Brien brace when coming from last to first to land the Kilboy Estates Stakes under Seamie Heffernan by a length and three-quarters from the Martyn Meade-trained Wilamina.
THE King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday week and next month’s Yorkshire Oaks are potential immediate targets for Enable.
The Khaled Abdullah-owned filly easily added Saturday’s Irish Oaks to her win in the English equivalent for trainer John Gosden, in a display that marked down Enable as arguably the best middle-distance three-year-old in Europe.
CAVAGGIO could race next in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville over six and a half furlongs on August 6.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt lost his unbeaten record when fourth in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday. O’Brien said: ‘He’s good. I thought he ran very well. It was one of those days, they are only flesh and blood.’