CHRISTY ROCHE could have been forgiven for looking at his mount Theano after yesterday's last race at Leopardstown with a sceptical eye. But after the day the six-times former champion had had, he was in benevolent form,
All five of Roche's rides yesterday before Theano had won, matching his previous best which he notched up on 1992 Irish Derby day at the Curragh. It was a remarkable effort from Roche, 47, whose cumulative odds on the five-timer came to almost 340 to 1 and was highlighted by Ashley House's dramatic victory in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial.
The three-horse head-bopping finish to the Group Three event had been tight enough to make the eye of any needle look enormous.
Of the three, the favourite, Ebadiyla, came out worst, but the naked eyes of even the principals couldn't say for definite if either Casey Tibbs had held on or Ashley House had gotten up.
"I should have won by two lengths. I was stopped in the straight," a po-faced Roche said as he returned to the enclosure reserved for the second, only to find Michael Kinane queuing up on Casey Tibbs to get in there too.
Kinane called it right, however, and Dermot Weld commented: "Mick is adamant he's beaten and blames himself for going too soon.
Not for the first time Kinane had been spot on. Ashley House got up in the last stride to give Roche his fourth winner in-a-row.
Normally such a close finish doesn't encourage dreams of classic glory, but yesterday may be an exception. Ebadilya found the early pace insufficient and John Oxx, not normally given to over-statement, seemed quite sweet on running the Aga Khan's filly in the Epsom Oaks, while Casey Tibbs, according to Weld, is "in all the Dellys, and we have all to play for.
Ashley House, to his part, overcame a troublesome passage to confirm that he is a rapidly improving colt and a significant added string to Charles O'Brien's classic bow.
"I'd like to give him a prep race before the Irish Derby but I don't like the Gallinule Stakes now that it has been opened up to four-year-olds. He improved about 10lbs between his first and second races and I thought he did the same before today, but he had to. He will have to improve again, but these Sadlers Wells horses are funny and do keep improving," O'Brien said.
The Curragh trainer also has the easy Navan winner Olympic Majesty, who will run at Mallow next Sunday over 12 furlongs before being aimed at the French Derby. "I didn't expect to have two such good horses. Ashley House is the better worker, but Olympic Majesty does keep a bit to himself," O'Brien added.
It was a memorable day for O'Brien, who scored his first treble. Dr Johnson gave him his second winner, and Roche his fifth by beating stablemate Virtuoso in the Anglo Printers Maiden. Roche must have been cursing his luck in the Amethyst Stakes as he chose Theano in preference to Burden Of Proof, who ran out a comfortable winner for John Murtagh.
Before that it was all Roche, however, as he teamed up with the other O'Brien, Aidan, to win the first three races.
Strawberry Roan showed the benefit of her seasonal debut by taking the Derrinstown 1,000 Guineas Trial in easy fashion from Welsh Queen and Magical Cliche and will now run in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
She has been showing much more pace in her work and has improved a lot," said O'Brien. "Along with her we could also have Shell Ginger, Classic Park, Mingling Glances and Royale in the Guineas."
Sideman galloped all over his two rivals to make a winning debut in the opener but Roche had to work much harder on Air Of Distinction, who only just got the better of Nagnagnag in the closing stages of the Killiney Handicap.
On a day when the O'Brien name was almost all-encompassing, the only trainer to break the stranglehold was Sean Treacy, whose Bolino Star finished fast and late to beat Rescue Time in the Spring Handicap.
Pat Eddery and Michael Roberts were both handed five-day bans at Bath yesterday.
The suspensions run from May 20th to 24th inclusive, which rules the pair out of the Goodwood three-day spring meeting which features Derby and Oaks trials as well as the first day of the Curragh meeting at which the 1,000 Guineas will be run.
Eddery was found guilty of careless riding when adjudged to have caused interference aboard Intiaash, the winner of the Holsten Pits Handicap, at the furlong pole.
The stewards found he had hampered unplaced Literary Agent who in turn interfered with third home Kildee Lad but the incident had not improved the winner's placing.
Eddery was incensed by the ban, saying: "It's all a bit ridiculous. I will think it over tonight and have a look at a film of the race in the morning before I decide whether to appeal."
