It was a day of champion performances and high emotion at
the Curragh as Dermot Weld landed the final Classic of the season and a classy
two-year-old trained in Britain marked himself down as a Classic contender of
the highest order.
On a day when the racing world came to support Pat Smullen
in his quest to raise funds for Cancer Trials Ireland and awareness of
pancreatic cancer, it was almost written in the stars that the colours Smullen
has worn to so much success, those of Moyglare Stud, were carried to victory in
the Comer Group International Irish St Leger.
Chris Hayes gave a riding masterclass his predecessor would
be proud of on Search For A Song who dictated the 1m6f Classic to win for Weld
and Moyglare at 10-1.
Hayes revealed afterwards that a pre-race chat with Smullen
was key to his tactical approach in a Leger that will be recalled for the
daring of the rider in defiance of things going wrong, Search For A Song very
keen but taking it up with around six furlongs to go
"Nothing went right," Hayes admitted. "I'd a
plan in my head and spoke to Pat. He didn't say a whole pile but what he said
gave me the confidence that if I got in a rhythm, be it last, first or fifth,
let her go.
"I knew early on I was getting in a row with her and
there was no point. The Oaks was a mess here and I decided to do what I did. It
was a great performance from her."
Earlier on the card Pinatubo had seasoned Curragh racegoers
struggling for superlatives after an incredible nine-length rout in the Goffs
Vincent O'Brien National Stakes.
Charlie Appleby's colt, in the colours of Godolphin,
trounced his rivals under William Buick in the premier two-year-old race of the
season in Ireland, leaving his trainer in awe.
"James (Doyle) said at Goodwood in the first half of
the race he wasn't really travelling; three down here it was worrying again. At
home he won't pick the bridle up," Appleby said.
"He is a trainer's dream. I gave him a gallop during
the week with some of the nicer two-year-olds, trying to give myself a bit of
confidence and I think we did the reverse to be honest: they out-galloped him!
"You don't get confidence at home but at the track,
what can you say? The way he has won there I see no reason why we do not go to
the Dewhurst Stakes.
"I've been very lucky to have some nice two-year-olds
so far but he's amazing. He just doesn't do it in the morning.
"We've seen the change in him over the past six weeks;
people were saying is he just a two-year-old? I can't fault him."
The other Group 1 race, the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five
Stakes, continued Aidan O'Brien's amazing weekend, 12-1 Fairyland defeating
stablemate So Perfect by a short head under Ryan Moore. Buffer Zone took the
Irish Stallion Farms EBF 'Bold Lad' Sprint Handicap for Ger Lyons and Colin
Keane. Stone Circle scooped the €147,500 prize for victory in the Tattersalls
Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes under Andrea Atzeni for Michael Bell and the
finale, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 'Northfields' Handicap, went to 12-1 One
Cool Poet, who had created history by winning thrice at the Galway Festival for
trainer Matthew Smith and rider Billy Lee this summer.
In truth, this was a hugely emotional day, with the Tony
McCoy-ridden Quizzical landing a special win for a thrilled Sheila Lavery in
the Pat Smullen Champions Race for Cancer Trials Ireland. "I can't believe
they left McCoy alone in front," Smullen laughed, adding that he was
"overcome" by the race.
Legendary former commentator Dessie Scahill called them
home, while the other riders taking part were Ruby Walsh, Johnny Murtagh,
Charlie Swan, Joseph O'Brien, Ted Durcan, Paul Carberry, Richard Hughes and
Kieren Fallon.
Attendance for day two of Longines Irish Champions Weekend
was 10,075, bringing the total weekend attendance 23,508.
Pat Keogh, CEO of the Curragh Racecourse, said: “We’ve had a
wonderful Longines Irish Champions Weekend of racing where the action on the
track truly lived up to the ‘Champions’ billing.
“On Saturday we saw some incredible racing with Magical and
Irridessa taking the Group 1s, the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes and the Coolmore
Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes.
“Today at the Curragh we had an incredibly fitting winner of
the Comer Group International Irish St Leger with the Moyglare Stud-owned and
Dermot Weld-trained Search For A Song.
“Pinatubo confirmed his sheer class in the Goffs National
Stakes and Aidan O’Brien’s stunning weekend was capped with a classy victory
for Love in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Fairyland in the Derrinstown Stud
Flying Five.
“And nobody will forget the thrilling finish to the Champions Race for Cancer Trials Ireland, with nine champions giving their all, in support of their friend Pat Smullen. AP McCoy and Sheila Lavery teamed up with
