A little known 18-year-old apprentice jockey deprived the champion trainer Aidan O'Brien of a slice of Irish racing history at the Curragh yesterday - and by just a short head at that.
No trainer has ever had six winners at an Irish meeting but O'Brien had already chalked up five winners when he saddled the favourite, Leopard Rock, for the last race.
Leopard Rock looked a likely winner, but in a driving finish, it was the Catherine Gannon-ridden 16 to 1 shot, Northern Rock, who just held on.
Dublin-born Gannon, who will be 19 next week, was riding just her fourth winner.
There was some consolation for O'Brien, however, as his winners allowed him to equal Senator JJ Parkinson, Michael Collins, Dermot Weld and Jim Bolger as the only trainers to ever saddle five winners in this country.
