CURRAGH REPORT: HALFWAY TO Heaven completed a momentous weekend Group One treble for Aidan O'Brien with a thrilling victory in yesterday's Boylesports Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh.
Seamus Heffernan partnered the filly to a head success over the 66 to 1 outsider Tuscan Evening who was subsequently put back to fourth behind the Dermot Weld pair, Mad About You and Carribean Sunset, for causing interference.
It was a bittersweet moment for Tuscan Evening's trainer John Murphy but in contrast Halfway To Heaven's name doesn't even come close to describing the mood in the O'Brien camp after a perfect weekend in the top-flight.
Saturday's scintillating 2,000 Guineas win for Henrythenavigator was followed by Duke Of Marmalade's defeat of Finsceal Beo in the Tattersalls Gold Cup which preceded Halfway To Heaven's own classic success yesterday.
It was the first time anyone has completed the Group One treble over the Curragh Guineas weekend but a third occasion on which O'Brien has completed the Irish Guineas double.
"These are three hugely prestigious races so this is massive for everyone involved," beamed the champion trainer who also won yesterday with Hebridean and Tiffany Diamond. The Group One treble was certainly a brutal reminder of the depth of firepower available to the Ballydoyle-Coolmore operation.
O'Brien's former mentor Jim Bolger entered the weekend with his own hopes of a Group One three-timer but New Approach and Finsceal Beo had to settle for runner-up spots while Saoirse Abu struggled home in fifth in the 1,000.
Instead Bolger had to feed off rather lesser spoils with two wins in minor races yesterday which he calculated brought his career total to 2,000. However, he again stressed his displeasure with the quick Curragh ground which remained officially "firm" yesterday.
Bolger reported New Approach to have emerged unscathed from his defeat by Henrythenavigator but added: "I wouldn't run him on that ground again. It's not the sort of ground we should have had on Guineas day. If we don't get good ground for the Irish Derby then he won't be turning up."
Already ruled out of Epsom that could mean New Approach's Derby options decreasing even further. However, even in the middle of yesterday's Group One glut, the most significant Derby clue of all looked to come from the Coolmore supremo John Magnier who appeared more than willing to point Henrythenavigator towards Epsom on Saturday week.
After stressing that everyone in the team will get their say about the colt running in the Derby or not, Magnier then admitted: "If you're asking me what I would like to do, then I'd say Epsom. That's what it is all about."
The idea that anyone in the Ballydoyle team will argue Magnier out of what he wants to do is a pretty incongruous one and significantly Ladbrokes now make Henrythenavigator a 5 to 1 second favourite for Epsom behind Casual Conquest.
Another significant betting move yesterday was the installation of Dermot Weld's Chinese White back into ante-post betting for the Epsom Oaks, a race Bolger is set to run his Musidora winner Lush Lashes in also, if the ground is good.
With everything else going on, Halfway To Heaven's classic moment could almost have been over-shadowed but a thrilling finish ruled that out. John Murtagh's decision to remain on Kitty Matcham in an attempt to fill his Irish classic CV came unstuck as Heffernan made the most of his opportunity to add to another Guineas victory on Imagine in 2001. "She's a tough lady and Seamus gave her a very positive ride. She's in the Coronation at Ascot and a strongly run mile will suit," said O'Brien.
It was a less happy experience for John Murphy who said he will appeal Tuscan Evening's demotion and her jockey Danny Grant who received a total of four days in suspensions for two incidents during the race.
Hebridean continued his rapid improvement with a Group Three victory in the Gallinule Stakes. Royal Ascot's King Edward VII Stakes is a possible target.
The one blip on an otherwise memorable weekend for the O'Brien team was Murtagh's three day suspension picked up on the newcomer Westphalia in the two-year-old maiden. The jockey also picked up a further two days for careless riding on board Tiffany Diamond in the last. However, the bans begin after the Epsom Derby meeting and end before Royal Ascot.
