THE all-conquering Aidan O'Brien-Christy Roche team was represented in just two races at Leopardstown yesterday, but they were the two most valuable and, almost inevitably, O'Brien and Roche won both.
Catch The Blues booked her ticket for Royal Ascot after a smooth victory in the Group Three Ballyogan Stakes indicated that this consistent five-year-old is possibly better than ever. Pre-race concerns had been about how she would handle the five-furlong trip but, ultimately, Catch The Blues accelerated impressively to beat Ailleacht by half a length, with the English pair, Bolshoi and Averti, just behind.
She has more pace this year. Last year she wouldn't have won that race over five furlongs," said O'Brien, who now faces the pleasurable task of choosing between the Cork And Orrery Stakes and the Kings Stand Stakes for Catch The Blues.
Bolshoi was running on strongly at the finish and his trainer Jack Berry commented: "He could have done with another half furlong but we'll go for the Kings Stand."
Ascot was also on O'Brien's mind after the 2 to 9 favourite, Heeremayidi had little more than an exercise canter to beat stable companion Festival Song in the Listed Silver Flash Stakes.
"That was a lovely experience for her and it's the Queen Mary now. She has all the speed in the world and has become more relaxed and professional since her first run," O'Brien said.
Both he and Roche have now had 33 winners so far this season and Strawberry Roan is likely to attempt to add to that in Friday's Gallinutle Stakes at the Curragh, where she will join stablemate Johan Cryuff, instead of having a tilt at the Epsom Oaks.
Whether Dance Design goes to Epsom for Friday's Coronation Cup will be decided by Dermot Weld today, but if she does she will travel with evidence that the Weld camp is fast returning to form after its bout with the virus.
Token Gesture and Angellino provided a handicap double yesterday and an upbeat Weld said: "They are coming right." Dance Design has seemed to sail unconcernedly through the virus attack and Weld confirmed that she is in good form.
"The Coronation Cup might just be a shade soon and we have to consider her overall programme. We have to decide to concentrate her on 10-furlong races or mile and a half races," he said.
Token Gesture will go for the McCalmont Stakes at Gowran next after easily beating Nordic Project in the Nutgrove Handicap and Angellino will run in a handicap over the Derby weekend at the Curragh after also justifying favouritism in the Milltown Handicap.
John Oxx's yard has also been affected by the dreaded virus, but Chania recovered sufficiently to break her duck in the Wexford Maiden.
