Latest news with #AmethystStakes
Rhyl Journal
3 days ago
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Diego Velazquez prevails in Minstrel Stakes
Aidan O'Brien's son of Frankel was winning for the fifth time in his 10-race career, but was tackling the shortest distance he has encountered since making a winning debut over the same course and distance as a two-year-old. The 11-8 favourite for the Group Two event in the hands of Ryan Moore, he was well away and always in a handy position alongside Adrian Murray's Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up California Dreamer. Moore may have been low in the saddle inside the final quarter-mile but he had a willing ally and although the challengers were queuing up a furlong from home, it was only David Marnane's 25-1 shot East Hampton who emerged from the pack to lay down a stern challenge in the closing stages. Diego Velazquez, however, was never headed and even though East Hampton was within a neck at the winning post, the class of the Ballydoyle colt was always keeping him on top. O'Brien said: 'A mile is probably his trip. We were preparing him for Ascot and we had him in the stalls at Leopardstown, but he got upset and had to be withdrawn (from the Amethyst Stakes) and that upset his Ascot plan. 'I wasn't confident enough to tell Ryan to ride him as forward as he would have liked (in the Queen Anne Stakes) because he hadn't had a run. They only walked the first half of the race, so it was a non event really. 'We knew he would come forward a lot from then to today and he did well to win today over seven. He's a brave horse and Ryan gave him a good ride. 'He's a very well-made horse – powerful, strong, a great walker. Physically as a specimen he's a tank really. 'We'll go back up to a mile now for the Sussex or the Jacques le Marois, something like that. 'He'll have no problem getting back up to nine furlongs or a mile and a quarter at the end of the season.'
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Diego Velazquez digs deep to star in Curragh hat-trick for Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien
The son of Frankel, named after a 17th century Spanish painter was winning for the fifth time in his 10-race career, but was tackling the shortest distance he's encountered since making a winning debut over the same course and distance as a two-year-old. The 11/8 favourite for the Group Two event was always in a handy position under Moore alongside Adrian Murray's Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up California Dreamer. Moore may have been low in the saddle inside the final quarter-mile but he had a willing ally and while several rivals were lining up a furlong from home, it was only David Marnane's 25/1 outsider East Hampton which emerged from to lay down a stern challenge in the closing stages. But Diego Velazquez stuck to his guns and prevailed by a neck from East Hampton at the winning post. 'A mile is probably his trip. We were preparing him for Ascot and we had him in the stalls at Leopardstown, but he got upset and had to be withdrawn (from the Amethyst Stakes) and that upset his Ascot plan,' said O'Brien. 'We'll go back up to a mile now for the Sussex or the Jacques le Marois, something like that. He'll have no problem getting back up to nine furlongs or a mile and a quarter at the end of the season.' The O'Brien-Moore hat-trick was initiated by Sugar Island in the opening juvenile fillies' maiden over seven furlongs. With Moore switching to the daughter of Dubawi following the absence of anticipated favourite Signora, the regally-bred two-year-old was sent off 9/2 and after hitting the front at the furlong pole, she prevailed by half a length from Saint Agatha. O'Brien and Moore added to their tally with Light As Air in the 12-furlong maiden, the 1/2 favourite having previously been seen finishing well down the field in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot. One Look relished a step up in trip when bouncing back to her best in the Curragh's Al Shira'aa Racing Meadow Court Stakes. The four-year-old burst onto the scene at this venue as a two-year-old and has been one of Paddy Twomey's top performers ever since. She began this season in great form, winning the Park Express Stakes at this track before returning to give Porta Fortuna a fright in the Lanwades Stud Stakes, but was disappointing when last seen in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot. Sent off at 100/30 for her first try at 10 furlongs, she relished the return to her beloved Curragh and served a reminder of her class in the hands of Wayne Lordan to deliver a decisive length success over Dermot Weld's Azada. 'It was great to come here and win again at the Curragh. She seems to like the Curragh and is a lovely filly,' said Twomey. 'Ascot didn't work out for her, probably on ground quicker than she'd like and a trip as short as she'd want to go. 'She's in the Nassau, she could run here in the Blandford Stakes on Champions Weekend and races on Arc weekend. We'll have a think and pick our spots.' Queen Of The Bogs (8/1) made every yard of the running to land the closing fillies'maiden for John Murphy and Gary Carroll, while Shane Foley steered Jessica Harrington's Lady In Paris (8/1) to success in the 10-furlong handicap.
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Diego Velazquez prevails in Minstrel Stakes
Aidan O'Brien's son of Frankel was winning for the fifth time in his 10-race career, but was tackling the shortest distance he has encountered since making a winning debut over the same course and distance as a two-year-old. The 11-8 favourite for the Group Two event in the hands of Ryan Moore, he was well away and always in a handy position alongside Adrian Murray's Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up California Dreamer. Moore may have been low in the saddle inside the final quarter-mile but he had a willing ally and although the challengers were queuing up a furlong from home, it was only David Marnane's 25-1 shot East Hampton who emerged from the pack to lay down a stern challenge in the closing stages. Diego Velazquez, however, was never headed and even though East Hampton was within a neck at the winning post, the class of the Ballydoyle colt was always keeping him on top. O'Brien said: 'A mile is probably his trip. We were preparing him for Ascot and we had him in the stalls at Leopardstown, but he got upset and had to be withdrawn (from the Amethyst Stakes) and that upset his Ascot plan. 'I wasn't confident enough to tell Ryan to ride him as forward as he would have liked (in the Queen Anne Stakes) because he hadn't had a run. They only walked the first half of the race, so it was a non event really. 'We knew he would come forward a lot from then to today and he did well to win today over seven. He's a brave horse and Ryan gave him a good ride. 'He's a very well-made horse – powerful, strong, a great walker. Physically as a specimen he's a tank really. 'We'll go back up to a mile now for the Sussex or the Jacques le Marois, something like that. 'He'll have no problem getting back up to nine furlongs or a mile and a quarter at the end of the season.'
South Wales Guardian
4 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Diego Velazquez prevails in Minstrel Stakes
Aidan O'Brien's son of Frankel was winning for the fifth time in his 10-race career, but was tackling the shortest distance he has encountered since making a winning debut over the same course and distance as a two-year-old. The 11-8 favourite for the Group Two event in the hands of Ryan Moore, he was well away and always in a handy position alongside Adrian Murray's Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up California Dreamer. Moore may have been low in the saddle inside the final quarter-mile but he had a willing ally and although the challengers were queuing up a furlong from home, it was only David Marnane's 25-1 shot East Hampton who emerged from the pack to lay down a stern challenge in the closing stages. Diego Velazquez, however, was never headed and even though East Hampton was within a neck at the winning post, the class of the Ballydoyle colt was always keeping him on top. O'Brien said: 'A mile is probably his trip. We were preparing him for Ascot and we had him in the stalls at Leopardstown, but he got upset and had to be withdrawn (from the Amethyst Stakes) and that upset his Ascot plan. 'I wasn't confident enough to tell Ryan to ride him as forward as he would have liked (in the Queen Anne Stakes) because he hadn't had a run. They only walked the first half of the race, so it was a non event really. 'We knew he would come forward a lot from then to today and he did well to win today over seven. He's a brave horse and Ryan gave him a good ride. 'He's a very well-made horse – powerful, strong, a great walker. Physically as a specimen he's a tank really. 'We'll go back up to a mile now for the Sussex or the Jacques le Marois, something like that. 'He'll have no problem getting back up to nine furlongs or a mile and a quarter at the end of the season.'
Leader Live
4 days ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Diego Velazquez prevails in Minstrel Stakes
Aidan O'Brien's son of Frankel was winning for the fifth time in his 10-race career, but was tackling the shortest distance he has encountered since making a winning debut over the same course and distance as a two-year-old. The 11-8 favourite for the Group Two event in the hands of Ryan Moore, he was well away and always in a handy position alongside Adrian Murray's Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up California Dreamer. Moore may have been low in the saddle inside the final quarter-mile but he had a willing ally and although the challengers were queuing up a furlong from home, it was only David Marnane's 25-1 shot East Hampton who emerged from the pack to lay down a stern challenge in the closing stages. Diego Velazquez, however, was never headed and even though East Hampton was within a neck at the winning post, the class of the Ballydoyle colt was always keeping him on top. O'Brien said: 'A mile is probably his trip. We were preparing him for Ascot and we had him in the stalls at Leopardstown, but he got upset and had to be withdrawn (from the Amethyst Stakes) and that upset his Ascot plan. 'I wasn't confident enough to tell Ryan to ride him as forward as he would have liked (in the Queen Anne Stakes) because he hadn't had a run. They only walked the first half of the race, so it was a non event really. 'We knew he would come forward a lot from then to today and he did well to win today over seven. He's a brave horse and Ryan gave him a good ride. 'He's a very well-made horse – powerful, strong, a great walker. Physically as a specimen he's a tank really. 'We'll go back up to a mile now for the Sussex or the Jacques le Marois, something like that. 'He'll have no problem getting back up to nine furlongs or a mile and a quarter at the end of the season.'
