Rock cruises to Guineas double

History has rarely been so easily made as when Rock Of Gibraltar cantered to victory in the Entenmann`s Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh today.

The Sagitta 2000 Guineas winner, part-owned by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, hardly came off the bridle as he treated his six rivals with disdain to become just the fifth colt to complete the Newmarket/Curragh double - and the first trained in Ireland.

Stable-companions Century City and Della Francesca chased him home to repeat the one-two-three achieved 12 months ago by Aidan O`Brien, whose recent victory with Landseer at Longchamp means he is the first trainer to win the 2000 Guineas plus its French and Irish equivalents in the same season.

Rock Of Gibraltar, reunited with rider Michael Kinane, who had been suspended on 2000 Guineas day, drifted in the betting beforehand from 1-3 out to 4-7 amid fears that the very soft ground might tell against him.

And his supporters had a moment`s anxiety when he was still in last place passing the two-furlong pole in the one-mile Classic, around five lengths behind as Century City took up the running from the pacemaker Nostradamus.

But with scarcely an effort from the saddle Rock Of Gibraltar cruised through a gap on the inside to move onto the heels of the leaders, quickened to lead 100 yards out and sauntered home a length and a half clear without being asked anything like a serious question.

Century City finished three lengths ahead of Della Francesca, with sole British challenger Foreign Accent another five lengths way in fourth.

'He is a very good horse,' Kinane said of the winner, whose Newmarket victory had been attributed by many to a favourable draw. 'The horse was quicker than the gap was closing.

'Conditions were not ideal for a horse with so much pace but he handled it and showed how good a horse he is.'

Rock Of Gibraltar has now won four Group One races for Ferguson, one of the newest owners in O`Brien`s powerful stable, who said: 'Inever expected this - I have been very lucky and it is a great day.

'Aidan said they were going to hold him up for as long as possible and he showed a great change of pace to win - you couldn`t be more impressed.

'You do wonder over the winter whether a horse will train on but he definitely has, and hopefully he is still improving. I am very proud of him.'

O`Brien believes the three-year-old was in better shape today than when he beat stable-mate Hawk Wing at Newmarket.

'That was his first run of the year and he has come on a lot for it,' the trainer said.

'I was concerned about the ground because he has a lot of speed - his big thing is that he `explodes` and goes away.

'But Mick gave him a very confident ride.'

The trainer had not been worried about the colt`s getting a clear run in the latter stages, saying: 'The last furlong here is a very long furlong and usually daylight comes some time -and when you let this horse down he goes.

'He has been left in the Derby but the plan is to go for the St James`s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

'Century City and Della Francesca are also possibles for Ascot, but there are also races like the Queen Anne Stakes and the Jersey.'

A step up in trip beckons for Foreign Accent, whose fourth place under Jimmy Fortune earned prize money of 16,000 euros.

'He ran a solid race, has finished fourth in a Guineas and won a decent prize,' said trainer John Gosden.

'He will now step up to a mile and a quarter which is what he wants.'