Awtaad has upset favourite Galileo Gold in the Irish 2000 Guineas to give veteran trainer Kevin Prendergast his second win in the race, 40 years after his first.
The 82-year-old, the longest-serving trainer at The Curragh, described Awtaad as good as any horse to come through his stable.
Chris Hayes was always sitting pretty on the Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned colt and kicked for home about two furlongs (400m) out.
Awtaad (9-2) galloped strongly to the line to beat English 2000 Guineas winner Galileo Gold (5-4 fav) by 2-1/2 lengths with Blue De Vega third.
“That was great and I’d like to thank Sheikh Hamdan for having faith in me for a long time,” Prendergast said.
“He (Awtaad) was very backward as a two-year-old, and I’d say he’s as good a horse as I’ve had.
“I don’t know where he will go next. The boss man (Sheikh Hamdan) makes the decision and we go along with it.
“The last one (Irish 2000 Guineas) was 40 years ago, and a lot of lads weren’t born then!”
His jockey said Awtaad was a special horse as was his trainer.
“He just excites you so much … everything about him is special,” Hayes said.
“Even going in to ride him in the mornings is exciting.
“He’s the closest thing you’ll find to driving a car inside in a race.
“Mr Prendergast gave me no instructions, except don’t get there too soon, which I did! I had no option.
“This means a lot to me and Mr Prendergast has been so good to me.”
Coral slashed Awtaad from 50-1 to 16-1 for the Epsom Derby, with RaceBets going 7-2 about the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
