Fascinating Rock and Pat Smullen© Photo Healy Racing
The Dermot Weld trained Fascinating Rock claimed his second Group 1 win at the Curragh today, landing the top level Tattersalls Gold Cup under Pat Smullen.
Smullen joins the '39 forever' club on his birthday today and having earlier steered Creggs Pipes to a handicap win, doubled his score on Fascinating Rock who proved three and three quarters of a length too strong for Breeders Cup Turf winner Found
Afterwards Weld stated “it's a race I love to win as it's an excellent Group 1 and it always takes a very good horse to win it. I've been fortunate to win it with a few very good horses in the past and he's as good as any of them.
“He beat Found fair and square in the English Champion Stakes last year so there was no reason he couldn't beat her again.
“I'll speak to the owner but he might have the summer off now and we'll look to train him for the Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc. His next race will most likely be the Royal Whip as a prep for the Irish Champion Stakes.
“He has all the class to win an Arc and has won a Group race over a mile-and-a-half at Leopardstown so gets the trip well.
“He's a big horse and takes a run no matter what you do with him. Last year we took him to Windsor and he came back and won at Leopardstown - it's hard to get him 100 percent first time out.
“Today was an excellent renewal of the race and Found is an outstanding mare.”
By Tom Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson
