Flat racing returned with a vengeance at Leopardstown overnight with three races for Classic aspiring three year-olds and two of them were won by Aidan O’Brien for the Coolmore partners.
The Group III 2000 Guineas Trial (7f) was won by Frankel colt Hans Andersen as a short priced favourite with Ryan Moore in the saddle for Aidan O’Brien.
Hans Andersen had four starts last year for a maiden win beating subsequent G1 winner Al Riffa and was also Group placed, but this was his first stakes win.
He was bought for 450,000 guineas from Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale and is the first winner from stakes-winning juvenile Shadow Hunter and is the 109th stakes-winner for champion sire Frankel.
The Group III 1000 Guineas Trial (7f) for the fillies was won by another short priced Aidan O’Brien runner with blueblood Dubawi filly Never Ending Story taking the prize under Ryan Moore.
Never Ending Story made a winning return following a busy juvenile season when she started six times and won at Group III level and was competitive in a couple of Group I races.
A homebred for the Coolmore partners, Never Ending Story is the first winner for Group I Belmont Oaks winner Athena, a Camelot three-quarter sister to Group I winner Bracelet and Group III winner Goddess from stakes-placed Cherry Hinton, a daughter of the legend Urban Sea.
Cherry Hinton is a sibling to Group I winners Galileo, Sea the Stars, My Typhoon and Black Sam Bellamy, so pedigrees don’t get any better than this!
The Group III Ballysax Stakes (1m2f) produced an upset with White Birch winning for John Joseph Murphy with the hot favourite from Ballydoyle, Alexandroupolis (Camelot), finishing third at his his second start following a debut win last year.
White Birch had two starts last year for a big maiden win at Dundalk and looks an improver.
He was a 75,000 guinea purchase from the Tattersalls December Foals Sale and is the best of two winners from winning Dutch Art mare Diagnostic from the family of Group III winner Cupid’s Glory and plenty of other Group and Listed winners.
He is the fourth stakes-winner for Galileo’s Group I winning son Ulysses, whose oldest progeny have just turned four.
