Aidan O’Brien swiftly moves on from Caravaggio defeat with Group Two Curragh double
Aidan O'Brien's spirit wasn't broken by Caravaggio's defeat in the July Cup as, just 24 hours later, he landed a Group Two double with Spirit Of Valor and Elizabeth Browning.
SPIRIT OF VALOR gave O'Brien a quick Group Two double when leading all the way to lift the Qatar Airways Minstrel Stakes.
Ryan Moore was able to dictate affairs on the War Front colt, who showed his second in Royal Ascot's Jersey Stakes at odds of 66-1 was no fluke as he kept finding to keep his rivals at bay.
The 5-2 joint-favourite crossed the line a length and three-quarters clear of David O'Meara's So Beloved, with the Ed Walker-trained Stormy Antarctic a short head away in third.
"Over six or seven furlongs on fast ground he's obviously a real good horse," said O'Brien.
"He had a very good run in Ascot. We tried him at a mile the first day (Qipco 2000 Guineas) and it was stretching him a bit. Then we came back to a mile on soft ground (Irish Guineas).
"Ryan was very happy with him. There were horses with good form in that race.
"We might have a look at the Lennox in Goodwood or something like that.
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"There's no doubt he's improving. He's by War Front so he would like nice ground and the reason they do is because they are all fast horses."
Earlier in the afternoon, Elizabeth Browning came from last to first to land the Group Two spoils in the Kilboy Estates Stakes.
Seamie Heffernan gave Aidan O'Brien's three-year-old a patient ride, as first Sea Swift and then Turret Rocks set the pace, before delivering the 12-1 chance with a sweeping run on the outside to strike by a length and three-quarters from Martyn Meade's Newmarket challenger Wilamina.
"Seamus gave her a great ride. She's a filly we've always thought had a lot of ability and she missed a lot of lines," said O'Brien.
"She's starting to get it together and on her last few runs she's starting to back up.
"It's a great race for fillies at this time of year. It's fits in perfect.
"She'll stay a bit further, she was coming home well."