EXCELEBRATION HAS tried to get the better of the mighty Frankel on three occasions, but will attempt to make it fourth time lucky in next month’s Lockinge Stakes at Newbury with the difference now being he runs under the Ballydoyle banner.
The ex-Marco Botti trained colt had his first run for Aidan O’Brien in yesterday’s Big Bad Bob Gladness Stakes at the Curragh and impressed hugely with a silky-smooth defeat of Croisultan in the Group 3 event.
For a proven Group 1 performer, who already has a top-flight success to his name in last year’s Prix Du Moulin, Excelebration did nothing in form terms that a 2/7 favourite should not do. But the style of it was ultra-impressive.
Whether he can progress enough to finally beat Frankel this year was a question O’Brien didn’t care to overly ponder. But the champion trainer was impressed with his new charge.
“When you have a horse you’re not used to, it’s hard to know what to expect. He’s actually quite a lazy worker and only does what he has to at home but he travelled very strongly and quickened up well,” he said. “He was a very good horse for Marco Botti and the plan has always been to go to the Lockinge.”
Excelebration was the highlight of an O’Brien hat-trick. However, it wasn’t the 4/9 favourite Nephrite who won him the Listed Loughbrown Stakes but instead the second-string Requisition.
It was not a surprise to some though as the son of the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Saoire was heavily backed into 7/2 and made most of the running under Séamus Heffernan to hold off Coolnagree, with the favourite only third.
Nephrite travelled well to the furlong pole, but faded badly when asked for more by Joseph O’Brien. The result provoked one disgruntled punter to barrack the winning trainer in the winner’s enclosure.
O’Brien later ruled Nephrite out of a Guineas tilt and said: “All winter he trained well but we weren’t sure he would stay. Joseph got off and was adamant he is a sprinter. And the other horse we knew would stay as he had won at a mile on soft ground.”
Infanta Branca earlier justified short-odds in the juvenile maiden and could return to HQ for the Marble Hill Stakes over the Irish Guineas weekend.
“She hit the gate so Joseph let her go on,” O’Brien said. “She’s very fast and wants fast ground. She looks a Queen Mary type.”
The all-powerful Coolmore team also secured the Alleged Stakes with the David Wachman trained Chrysanthemum who made all the running under Wayne Lordan to hold off Vivacious Vivienne by a length and a half in the Listed event.
“She’s very capable from a mile to a mile and a quarter and there are lot of options for a filly like her, races like the Victor McCalmont at Gowran,” said Wachman.
John Oxx ran five in the 10 furlong maiden. Johnny Murtagh’s mount Ebazan dominated from the front for much of the race but it was the 16/1 shot Aklan who edged him out by a short head.
“He only came to us through the winter . . . But he loves soft ground,” said Oxx of the winner.
Born To Sea remains on course to run in the 2,000 Guineas in 12 days. “We have had a good run with him but you live day-to-day with these horses. He’s not a morning glory in his work but he’s working well enough and is pleasing us,” said Oxx.
The Curragh trainer is also likely to make a decision on a Derrinstown Derby Trial attempt by Akeed Mofeed later in the week. The colt has been on the easy list with a slight injury problem.
Jockey Shane Gray received a two-day ban for careless riding on Cnocan Diva, the winner of the mile handicap, who was allowed hold on to the race after a stewards inquiry despite drifting to her left and carrying the runner-up Susiescot with her.
