Oratorio takes Champion as O´Brien saddles four winners

Oratorio capped a memorable day for Aidan O´Brien when confirming his superiority over Motivator in a thrilling renewal of the million euro Baileys Irish Champion Stakes.

The Group 1 success at Leopardstown was part of a four-timer for the master of Ballydoyle, who also landed the St Leger at Doncaster with Scorpion.

Oratorio repeated his half length Eclipse Stakes victory over the Derby winner, produced with a steady run in the straight by Kieren Fallon to lead inside the final furlong.

Alexander Goldrun finished best of all just a head back in third, while Azamour was unable to raise his effort inside the final quarter mile back in fifth.

´I don´t have to talk about this horse as he does all the talking. He´s lazy and just does enough but is very courageous. The ground doesn´t seem to matter to him,´ said O´Brien, whose Scorpion landed the St Leger at Doncaster just half an hour earlier.

Michael Bell was ´thrilled´ with the performance of Motivator saying, ´He´s only beaten half a length by a very good horse over a mile and a quarter, and that will set him up well for the Arc.´

However bookmaker opinion on the ´Arc´ was divided with Motivator quoted between 5/2 and 6/1 for the Longchamp showpiece, behind general favourite Hurricane Run.

O´Brien introduced two juveniles in the seven furlongs maiden, and the market proved a good guide as the supposed ´second string´ Septimus justified support from 20/1 down to 10/1.

The son of Sadler´s Wells was partnered by Wayne Lordan, a late replacement for Colm O´Donoghue who was held up in traffic, and he rallied well in the closing stages to deny stablemate Arabian Prince by half a length.

´They are two lovely colts, and should both come on a lot from the run. They are well entered up including the Racing Post,´ said O´Brien.

Briolette benefitted from a strong drive by Fallon to touch off Burren Rose by a neck in the fillies handicap, while the O´Brien/Fallon team were also on the mark in the valuable two-year-olds Irish Breeders Foal Levy Stakes with Dylan Thomas.