O'Brien lands Royal Ascot feature

Trainer Aidan O`Brien`s remarkable run this season continued today when Black Minnaloushe won the Group One St James` Palace Stakes on the first day of the Royal Ascot meeting.

The three-year-old colt, who won the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh in May, just sneaked it under a terrific ride by Johnny Murtagh.

Murtagh had to switch him from the rails to the centre with just 200 metres to run but ran on strongly to edge the Godolphin Operation`s French 2000 Guineas winner Noverre.

'We had bit of trouble down the straight but I knew once we got the space he would win,' Murtagh said.

Minardi, another Aidan O'Brien charge, faded badly when the tough questions were asked.

With just a furlong to go it looked Noverre`s race as he pounced under Frankie Dettori to take a clear lead, though he veered right across the course and barged into Tambulaine.

However, Murtagh, who was jockey of the year last year with victories on Sinndar in the English and Irish Derbies and the Arc de Triomphe, coolly pulled him out and chased the leader down.

The John Dunlop-trained Olden Times, a Group One winner in France a fortnight ago, battled on under Gerard Mosse into third just ahead of French challenger Vahorimix, who came with a late run.

Murtagh, who also rode Black Minnaloushe in the Irish 2000 Guineas, accepted that next time he wouldn`t be so lucky when it came to riding the winner.

'Well, Michael (Kinane) is the stable jockey so it`s his privilege,' said Murtagh.

'I have good memories to take away from him as I have won two Group Ones on him and that is good enough for me,' he added.

O`Brien completed a double by landing the closing Coventry Stakes for the third time in four years.

But Kinane missed out again as he chose to ride the unplaced Rock Of Gibraltar, with Jamie Spencer taking the mount on Landseer who pipped Firebreak and Meshaheer in a finish of necks.

'Rock of Gibraltar got bumped after half a furlong,' O`Brien said.

'The winner always was a lovely horse, we will look at the July Stakes or possibly the Heinz for him now.