Third behind Promise To Be True (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Silver Flash S. at Leopardstown July 21 before filling the same spot as Rhododendron took the G2 Debutante S. over this course and distance a month later, Intricately improved past that Ballydoyle duo to make it a red-letter day for brothers Joseph and Donnacha O'Brien. Registering a 33-1 upset on debut over seven furlongs at Gowran Park June 19, the bay was just 1 1/4 lengths off Promise To Be True in the Silver Flash and slightly further behind Rhododendron in the Debutante but there was little evidence that she would be able to reverse those pieces of form given the typical nature of progression of Aidan O'Brien's best juveniles each year. What did help in this instance was the fact that she stayed close to one of Ballydoyle's other runners in the Debutante second Hydrangea as that rival pressed the pace throughout. Nothing was able to close to any serious effect in the excessively windy conditions that blighted the day's racing, so it was left to the front two to fight it out with Intricately starting to gain the upper hand at the furlong pole. Sticking to her guns tenaciously as Hydrangea refused to buckle against the rail, she held on by a slender margin to register a first win at the top level for both trainer and jockey as the next chapter of the remarkable O'Brien story evolves.
Fittingly, the breakthrough success came courtesy of a relative of Rock of Gibraltar (Ire), one of the earliest great horses at his father's establishment to fire Joseph's imagination. “This means the world to me,” the winning trainer said. “It's Donnacha's first group one and my mum bred her. She's very tough and Donnacha was very strong on her. You probably get a bigger kick out of training winners than riding them, as a lot more work goes into it. John Murrell owned Qualify who won the Epsom Oaks last year and after Intricately won her maiden and placed at Leopardstown he bought her, so it's great to train a winner for him. She's in the [Oct. 7 G1] Fillies' Mile at Newmarket and we'll see how she comes out of this. She doesn't have to run again this season.” O'Brien senior was understandably delighted with the result from a personal point of view, “I can't tell you how happy I am for them,” he commented. “It's so hard to win group one races and I'm very happy to miss out on this one. Where Joseph trains, we trained a lot of winners but we never trained a group one winner or anything close to it, so I can't tell you how delighted we all are and I think everyone is. John and Sue [Magnier] and all the family, everybody is delighted. She's a very good filly because we thought our fillies were nice, so it's great.” Inner Realm is a half-sister to the miling giant from the immediate family of the G3 International S. winner Precious Gem (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and the dual G1 Mile Championship runner-up Fiero (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). The third dam Push a Button is a half to the Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero and leading sire Riverman and is the second dam of the G3 Hobart Cup hero Offenbach (Aus) (Danehill) and the Australian G1 Thousand Guineas and G1 Champagne S. third Glowlamp (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}).
Sunday, The Curragh, Ireland
MOYGLARE STUD S.-G1, €350,000, CUR, 9-11, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:28.50, yl.
1–#@&INTRICATELY (IRE), 126, f, 2, by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
1st Dam: Inner Realm (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Offshore Boom, by Be My Guest
3rd Dam: Push a Button (Ire), by Bold Lad (Ire)
O-Mrs C. C. Regalado-Gonzalez; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien; J-Donnacha O'Brien. €199,500. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-2, $252,539. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Hydrangea (Ire), 126, f, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Beauty Is Truth (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Beauty Is Truth Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €66,500.
3–Rhododendron (Ire), 126, f, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Halfway To Heaven (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €31,500.
Margins: HD, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 25.00, 7.00, 2.50.
Also Ran: Rehana (Ire), Promise To Be True (Ire), Brave Anna, Dawn of A New Era (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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