Broome sweeps up with bigger prizes in sight

Trainer Aidan O'Brien enjoyed a four-timer at the Curragh on Saturday. Photo: Cody Glenn/Sportsfile

Michael Verney

April 19 2021 02:30 AM

Aidan O’Brien is renowned as a notoriously slow starter in the early stages of the Irish Flat season, but the Ballydoyle maestro has already ripped up the script this year with a 31/1 four-timer showing his rude health at the Curragh on Saturday.

O'Brien mopped up the pair of Group Three prizes up for grabs at Irish racing's HQ with Broome (1/2 favourite) continuing his return to form when pouncing late under Ryan Moore to take the Alleged Stakes.

Broome – fourth in the 2019 Epsom Derby – made it two from two this season as Ryan Moore got the son of Australia into full gear in the final furlong to catch Thundering Nights (9/1) and score by half a length.

"He showed a great attitude," Moore said. "He's had four runs at a mile and a quarter and he's won all four of them so we’re very happy. He was a very good three-year-old and won both of the main Derby Trials very well and he's done nothing wrong this year."

O'Brien added that the Tattersalls Gold Cup and the Coronation Cup would be among the five-year-old's options while the 23-time Irish champion Flat trainer also has plenty of exciting options for Gladness Stakes victor Lancaster House (9/4 favourite).

The master trainer intends to "probably stick to Group Twos and Group Threes" after landing back-to-back successes in great style but Moore feels that the son of Galileo – owned by Mrs Gay Smith – wouldn't be out of place at the highest level.

"I thought he was impressive, he travelled really well and picked up and put the race to bed pretty comfortably," Moore said of his stylish victory. "The way he felt here, he wouldn't be out of place in a Group One."

Moore was also aboard two more exciting winners as Glounthaune (9/4 joint-favourite) kept on well to repel fellow market leader Castle Star, trained by Fozzy Stack, by a neck on his debut while Wordsworth (Evens favourite) made it second-time lucky to score in the 1m2f maiden.

Stack had plenty to smile about just minutes later, though, as Cheerupsleepyjean (5/2) overcame obvious signs of greenness to run out a cosy winner of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race on her debut effort under Chris Hayes.

“She had been working well but hadn’t been away anywhere. There is probably plenty of improvement in her as she was quite green in front. She’s a fast filly and six is probably as far as she’ll ever get," Stack said.