RACING: Kieren Fallon opened his account for Aidan O'Brien at the second time of asking as Kitty O'Shea put herself in the Classic picture at the Curragh yesterday.
The beautifully-bred filly, a full-sister to St Leger winner Brian Boru, kept her unbeaten record by making all the running in the Listed EBF Park Express Stakes on the opening day of the Flat season.
Fallon kicked for home with two furlongs to run and the 7 to 2 chance quickened clear very smartly to win as she liked, six lengths in front of Tropical Lady.
Bookies were impressed enough to slash her odds for the Vodafone Oaks, where she is as short as 12 to 1 (from 25 to 1) with Coral. Cashmans offer 14 to 1, while Ladbrokes cut her to 16 to 1 from 33 to 1.
The latter firm also shortened her UltimatePoker.com 1,000 Guineas odds to 25 to 1 from 50s.
O'Brien said: "She is a very nice filly. Those were good horses behind her, and she has been working well at home. She is entered in all the Classics, but we will see what Kieren says first."
Fallon had been out of luck on his first two rides on the card, taking sixth with Jaguar On The Run in the Peter Keatley Curragh Equine Groundcare Maiden, his debut mount for O'Brien.
Sent off the 11 to 10 favourite for his racecourse bow, the Michael Tabor-owned three-year-old ran green, but was staying on well at the end.
However, he was no match for another debutant, the Mick Halford-trained Lahiba (20 to 1), who came through to lead a furlong and a half from home, holding Cove Mountain by three-quarters of a length.
It was a first winner for Johnny Murtagh, who will be the regular rider for Halford when he is in Ireland.
Fallon's first ride of the day had come in the opening Tally Ho Stud European Breeders Fund, but he had to settle for ninth on the David Wachman-trained One Fell Swoop. The five-furlong contest was won in nice style by the Tommy Stack-trained Northern Flight and Wayne Lordan, who quickened away from Shinko Dancer by a length and a half.
Fallon told At The Races: "It is a new year - I am looking forward to it, and with a bit of luck, we can't go wrong.
"It is early days, the horse of David's just needed educating there, and hopefully next time he can do better over a longer trip. But it's early for the babies just now, and they are still learning."
O'Brien and Fallon later teamed up with Mullins Bay in the most valuable race of the day, the ladbroke.com Irish Lincolnshire, but the Machiavellian horse was unplaced behind the Adrian McGuinness-trained winner Victram.
Kicking King lapped up the attention yesterday morning as the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hero was given a rapturous welcome at his Co Kildare base. The seven-year-old put the famous family name of Taaffe back in the spotlight after his magnificent display in the blue riband on Friday.
The bay gelding looked in fantastic shape as he posed for picture after picture, and the Gold Cup itself was passed around for all to see. The horse later paraded at the Curragh, in company with Smurfit Champion Hurdle hero Hardy Eustace and Queen Mother Champion Chase victor, Moscow Flyer.
