Tattersalls Gold Cup (Group 1)

ON a balmy Sunday afternoon at the Curragh, Luxembourg’s star brightened back up again after he valiantly held off the challenge of British raider Bay Bridge to land the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.

Although only beginning his four-year-old season, and with just nine runs to his name, the one-time hot Derby favourite has a somewhat chequered career but the belief in his ability has never wavered inside the walls of Ballydoyle and he continues to be a fine example of Aidan O’Brien’s judgement and training.

Remarkably, this was the Ballydoyle trainer’s 400th top level success (378 Group 1 wins plus 22 Grade 1 wins) with Ryan Moore combining for over 100 of those victories. He was integral to this latest one.

Bouncing out from stall two, Moore immediately took up the running ahead of Bay Bridge, who was drawn in one, so it wasn’t just luck that had one of his two main rivals boxed in and waiting for a gap in the straight.

Even when Richard Kingscote and Bay Bridge extricated themselves from that predicament and briefly looked dangerous, Luxembourg was gradually edging towards full throttle and looked good for the win some way before the line.

Opens up

The season now opens right up for Luxembourg and given his lightly-raced profile, looks as exciting as he ever has.

“He has been a serious horse all the time,” O’Brien reflected in the winner’s enclosure. “You must remember that he went to the Irish Champion Stakes on a very hard preparation and then went to the Arc on very bad ground.

“The lads have had the patience to leave him alone. Listen, he was a very good winner of a Vertem Futurity. He is a serious horse. He’s not for kids, he’s a hardy customer but he’s tough and he has loads of class.

“The plan was always to come here and then go to Ascot for the Prince of Wales and then go to the King George if everything goes well - those were his three races on his programme.

“Then a break and back to an Irish Champion Stakes and then have a look at an Arc. There were all the dreams and plans.”

O’Brien labelled Moore’s ride on Luxembourg as “a masterclass,” and it was hard to argue with that. The 39-year-old has been riding superbly for a sustained period of time.

He was his usual understated self after the race, preferring to concentrate on the horse and his potential to go further this season.

“He had to do something different today,” he said. “When the other horse came to me, he fought on really well, ran to the line, he was strong. I think that’s a really good performance today. The second horse is a real good horse, and I don’t know what happened to Vadeni but it was a proper horse race.

“This lad is a Group 1 winner at two, three and four now and I don’t think we’ve really got to the bottom of him yet. We thought he was an Epsom horse last year and it didn’t work out but he is getting it together now and showing what he can do.”

As Moore pointed out, Bay Bridge ran a fine race in defeat, and some will suggest he was an unlucky loser. The positive thing for connections is thet should get an immediate rematch in the Prince of Wales. The pair came six lengths clear of Piz Badile, while Vadeni was the big disappointment in fifth.

Christophe Soumillon was the first rider under pressure turning in.

Vadeni was later reported to have been coughing and had blood in his nostril post race.

LUXEMBOURG produced the magic moment for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore, but they were also prolific on the Irish 1000 Guineas undercard, securing another three winners to make it four on the day, all for the Coolmore partners.

Drumroll was the most significant of these after he took the Group 3 Heider Family Gallinule Stakes in the stewards’ room, having initially finished second past the post, a short head away from Teutates.

There has been a lot of controversy about stewarding decisions lately but this seemed quite clear cut, with Teutates continuously rolling to his left in the final stages, interfering with Drumroll no less than three times.

Drumroll, a full brother to Saxon Warrior, was well backed off the back of a significant form boost from Irish 2000 Guineas winner Paddington, who he had finished second to in the Tetrarch Stakes.

“We’re very happy with him,” O’Brien said. “A mile and four looks a good trip for him in time. It was a very good run out of him, he has a bit of class. He’s still a bit of a baby and running a bit green. He ran all the way to the line, fought well.”

Before his horse’s demotion, a pensive Donnacha O’Brien reflected on the positives of what was a good run whatever the outcome of the inquiry.

“He has run a cracker. We always thought he was a Group horse. I ran him in this to try and get him into one of the handicaps at Ascot because he had to go up a few pounds so we’ve probably done that.”

Earlier O’Brien and Moore took the opening Tally Ho Stud Irish EBF Fillies Maiden with Matrika.

The Coolmore partners-owned daughter of No Nay Never, a half sister to The Wow Signal, travelled well in a prominent position and always looked to be holding the challenge of Joseph O’Brien’s Grand Job when scoring by three quarters of a length.

O’Brien revealed afterwards that there was a real to and fro about whether to declare her to wear blinkers, changing his mind close to the wire on the advice of Wayne Lordan, who rides her in most of her work.

Completed

The four-timer was completed by High Chieftess (7/1), who showed an extremely willing attitude to make all in the Barberstown Castle Irish EBF Fillies Maiden over 10 furlongs.

The Galileo filly, out of Tiggy Wiggy, showed significant improvement from her two starts last season in first-time blinkers. She has no big-race entries at present but can improve from this seasonal debut and looks a stakes filly on this form.