THERE was a feelgood factor to the two Irish Guineas (what’s the plural of Guineas?), the two Tattersalls ones, the 2000 one and the 1000 one. Both winning trainers were classic maidens going into the weekend, and that would have been good enough on its own to generate the afore-mentioned factor. But there was more to it than that.

You would have to travel far from the Curragh if you wanted to find somebody with a bad word to say about Ken Condon. The positive vibe in the winner’s enclosure afterwards was palpable.

It was a brave move too by Condon, to allow Romanised take his chance in the classic, a colt who hadn’t won in four runs since he won his maiden on his racecourse debut at Navan in April last year. But he had run well behind Masar in the Solario Stakes at Sandown on his final run last season, and he hadn’t had much luck in-running in the Tetrarch Stakes on his debut this season.

Importantly, Condon retained his faith in Robert Ng’s horse, as did rider Shane Foley, who always thought he was a smart colt. The trainer said afterwards that he knew that his horse was an outsider, but he also knew that he deserved his place in the line-up.

Some way to get off the mark for the season. An Irish 2000 Guineas. Your first classic. Your first Group 1.

Alpha Centauri’s win in the Irish 1000 Guineas on Sunday was just as popular. Jessica Harrington has won Cheltenham Gold Cups and Irish Gold Cups and Queen Mother Champion Chases and Champion Hurdles and Aintree Hurdles and Arkles and Deloitte Hurdles and John Durkan Chases and RSA Chases. She has even won group races on the flat, Group 1s and all. But she had never won a classic. Not before Sunday.

And like Condon, she retained faith in her horse. Crucially, the Niarchos Family’s filly had not raced on good or fast ground since she had finished second to Different League in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot last June. Before that, she had won a listed race at Naas by five lengths. Fast ground was key. She bounced off it on Sunday and, under a superbly well-timed ride by Colm O’Donoghue, she delivered.

In as much as there are similarities between the two trainers, there are also similarities between the two horses.

Both juveniles with potential, both well beaten on debut this season, both racing for the sixth time in their respective lives at the weekend, both February foals, both by Coolmore-based stallions. Both put up the best performances of their respective careers before last weekend in defeat at Royal Ascot last year.

Next up for both? Probably Royal Ascot this year.