Aidan O'Brien continued his domination of Britain's top races by plundering the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot yesterday.

Fresh from completing a Derby-Oaks double with Galileo and Imagine, O'Brien collected another Group One feature with Black Minnaloushe, who will now follow in the hoof-prints of Giant's Causeway who launched a memorable 2000 campaign with a win in this race last year.

But jockey Michael Kinane missed the party as he rode Minardi at O'Brien's request and trailed in eighth.

The winning ride went instead to Johnny Murtagh - who had also partnered the colt to a surprise victory in last month's Irish 2000 Guineas - and he had to show all the skill which brought him 12 Group One wins in 2000 to get the bay home in front in a tight finish.

A furlong from home his mount, an 8 to 1 shot, was boxed in on the rail as Frankie Dettori made a dash for home on Noverre.

But Murtagh switched the colt to his left and produced a storming finish to catch Godolphin's 9 to 2 favourite close home for a neck win, with Olden Times another head away in third.

"When I switched out and got a split between Olden Times and Noverre I knew he would win and he stayed on all the way to the line," said Murtagh.

"I hope he gets the credit he is due as this was a top-class race and he is a top-class horse."

Explaining Murtagh's presence on the winner, who had sprung a 16 to 1 surprise at the Curragh, O'Brien said: "Mick wanted to ride Black Minnaloushe but I asked him to ride Minardi today to put him to sleep - at the Curragh he dragged the field to the leader Mozart and paid the penalty."

O'Brien completed a double by landing the closing Coventry Stakes for the third time in four years.

But Kinane missed out again as he chose to ride the unplaced Rock Of Gibraltar, with Jamie Spencer taking the mount on Landseer who pipped Firebreak and Meshaheer in a finish of necks.

"Rock Of Gibraltar got bumped after half a furlong," O'Brien said. "The winner always was a lovely horse, we will look at the July Stakes or possibly the Heinz for him now."

But there was a sting in the tail for Spencer who was handed a six-day ban (June 28th-July 3rd) after the race.

The Irish jockey was suspended for three days for two separate instances of interference which were adjudged to have been caused by careless riding.

And he was stood down for another three days for using his whip with excessive force. The suspension will rule him out of the Irish Derby at the Curragh on July 1st.

Mick Kinane, riding the unplaced Mediterranean in the Queen's Vase, was suspended for two days (June 28th-29th) for careless riding for causing interference.

Galileo delighted Aidan O'Brien yesterday in his first work-out since he ran away with the Vodafone Derby 10 days ago. And his trainer warned that he believes the Irish Derbybound colt has grown up since Epsom, where he romped a three-and-a-half-length defeat of Golan in the premier Classic.