Aidan O'Brien came to the bookmakers rescue for once yesterday as he floored a gamble in the Tote Ebor at York.
O'Brien smashed through the £2million mark in prize money for this year and inched closer to the British trainers' championship by landing Europe's r ichest handicap with outsider Mediterranean.
And he took a further stride clear at the top of the table by completing a memorable 64 to 1 double with Rock Of Gibraltar in the Scottish Equitable Gimcrack Stakes 35 minutes later.
Bookmakers on the Knavesmire had looked set for another pasting when Mark Prescott's Foreign Affairs cruised into the lead three furlongs out in the Ebor, on a course where he had emptied the satchels with a well-backed triumph in the John Smith's C up last month.
But the 6 to 1 favourite was tackling a half-mile longer trip this time and started to tread water in the final 300 yards, while the stoutly-bred Mediterranean was finding his stride.
Michael Kinane hit the front inside the final furlong on the 16 to 1 chance, who went on to land Ireland's first Ebor victory since 1973 by half a length, with 14-1 shot Brother Joe finishing fast to take third another three-quarters of a length back.
Rock Of Gibraltar leapt to prominence in the betting _ a general 14 to 1 chance - for the Sagitta 2000 Guineas after he romped to a three-length win from Ho Choi in the Gimcrack.
The colt was landing his third win in four starts but O'Brien said: "There is no doubt he should be unbeaten. He got stuck in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and he couldn't get out - Michael didn't even shake the reins at him."
The £192,750 earned by his two winners plus £12,500 from Yorkshire Oaks fourth Karsavina, took O'Brien's earnings for the season in England to £2,185,000 and puts him around £400,000 ahead in the prize-money-determined championship.
But he is not obsessed with becoming the first overseas trainer to lift the British title since Vincent O'Brien did so in 1977.
"We just try to do the right things by the horses - that is all that concerns us," the trainer said.
He could go even further clear today when July Cup winner Mozart will be a short-priced favourite for his step down to five furlongs in the £185,000 Victor Chandler Nunthorpe Stakes.
"Mozart is very well," O'Brien said. "He has lots of speed and he is unbelievably quick at home. He is very well and I am very happy with him."
Kinane added: "We've been happy with him since Newmarket. His work has been as great as ever and I'm sure he won't let us down." Mozart faces 10 rivals including last year's winner Nuclear Debate and Pipalong, who gave Tim Easterby his first Group One success in the Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup at Haydock Park last season.
It will be a major surprise, however, if Mozart does not give another scintillating performance today.
Elsewhere on yet another excellent York card, notice should be taken of Ovambo in the Melrose Rated Stakes and Isadora in the opening EBF Galtres Stakes.
The former missed the cut for the Tote Ebor having been backed down to co-favourite for the meeting's feature event and is obviously in good heart.
Isadora showed, when a head second to Serge Lifar at Windsor recently, that she can be expected to progress in a positive fashion and give trainer Luca Cumani another success in a race he has farmed in recent years.
Ovambo and Artillery, both leading fancies for the Tote Ebor but eliminated at the overnight stage, seek compensation in the Melrose Rated Stakes.
"If he had a chance in the Ebor he'll have a chance in the Melrose," Ovambo's trainer Peter Makin remarked.
