It was a stellar weekend for Irish breeders, stallions, trainers and owners as they achieved an incredible Classic double when winning the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket with LEGATISSIMO (IRE) and GLENEAGLES (IRE) respectively. The colts started off with an 18 runner field on Saturday, with April’s Craven Stakes winner Kool Kompany (IRE) setting a generous pace out in front. However, as Ryan Moore later said, no horse was fast enough to lead GLENEAGLES (IRE) and he took over a furlong out with acceleration no other could match, winning by 2 ¼ lengths. Territories (IRE) ran on well to take second, beating Ivawood (IRE) by ¾ lengths, with Irish-bred horses filling the first six places. It was also a 1-2-3 for Irish stallions, as Coolmore’s Galileo (IRE) enjoyed his eight European Guineas winner, while The Irish National Stud’s Invincible Spirit (IRE) sired the second horse, and his son Zebedee of Tally-Ho Stud sired the third horse in his first crop.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien said of his winner “He is a great traveller, has a lot of speed and quickens. You would have to think of the Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James’ Palace route with him.” It’s the same route he took with Giant’s Causeway in 2000, with whom he won six Group 1 races, and ‘The Iron Horse’ is a full brother to the dam of Gleneagles (IRE), You’resothrilling. The Cherry Hinton winner’s first foal, Marvellous (IRE), is also by Galileo (IRE) and won the Irish 1,000 Guineas last year. Further back in the line, the family also produced Hasili, dam of sires Dansili, Cacique and Champs Elysees. You’resothrilling’s two-year-old filly has been given the name Coolmore, giving the impression that there’s another champion waiting in the wings.

Legatissimo (IRE) completed the Classic double for owners Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs John Magnier, and gave David Wachman his first British Classic winner. Second in a Listed contest behind the promising Jack Naylor (IRE) last year, the scopey filly came out of her shell when winning a Listed race at Gowran impressively a week ago. Ryan Moore held her up at the back of the 13-runner field, as Kevin Manning also did with the other Irish raider, Lucida (IRE), all following a blistering pace set by Tiggy Wiggy (IRE) and Richard Hughes. Manning made his move two furlongs out and looked the likely winner until Moore asked the big question a furlong later, and his filly passed her rival with 75 yards to go, going on to win by ¾ lengths, with Tiggy Wiggy (IRE) 4 ½ lengths back in third, an admirable feat having set such a fast pace.

Irish breeders had further cause to celebrate as they filled the first eight of nine places in the first fillies classic of the year, while Irish stallions sired the first ten home in the high-class field. Legatissimo (IRE)’s classy pedigree is one of both speed and stamina, being by Coolmore’s top-class sprinter Danehill Dancer (IRE) and out of a winning full-sister to Ascot Gold Cup winner Fame And Glory. The sire enjoyed a Stakes double later in the card when Jazzi Top took the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes. Her half-sister Izzi Top won the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes, and along with the fact that the last two winners of this Listed Race have won the Epsom Oaks, Danehill Dancer (IRE) looks to have another top-class filly in his three-year-old crop.