Jim Bolger, out of luck with hot favourite Dawn Approach in the Epsom Derby, gained handsome compensation at the Curragh on Saturday when his Trading Leather won the Irish equivalent.
Bolger’s second success in the Irish classic after St Jovite in 1992, was ridden by Kevin Manning, the 6-1 shot running on strongly to beat Galileo Rock (9-1).
Third was Festive Cheer, the 33-1 outsider trained by Aidan O’Brien whose bid for an eighth straight win in Ireland’s premier classic was well and truly foiled when his Epsom winner and odds-on favourite Ruler Of The World (fifth) never got in a position to strike.
The horse that Ruler of the World defeated at Epsom, Libertarian, was another to disappoint, trailing in last but one of the nine runners.
Bolger summed up the win succinctly, declaring: “It doesn’t get much better than this.”
The winner is now 5-1 for next month’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
O’Brien offered no excuses for Ruler Of The World, saying: “There’s a big chance the gallop caught him out – at Epsom they went slow and he kicked and won but he wasn’t going away at the finish then.
“He also did get very warm, which he hadn’t done at Epsom.”
Libertarian flopped on his first start since being acquired by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin, with the stable’s racing manager Simon Crisford shrugging: “”He was beaten too far out for it to be real. We’ll just have to take him home and talk plans then.”
AFP AAP TURF
