Oratorio completes O'Brien double
Oratorio completed a quick Group One double for Aidan O’Brien following Scorpion’s victory in the St Leger by winning the Baileys Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
Kieren Fallon’s decision to partner the Coral-Eclipse winner in the Group One contest was justified as Oratorio, sent off a 7-1 chance, beat Motivator for a second time.
Leading inside the final furlong, Oratorio beat the Vodafone Derby winner by half a length with Alexander Goldrun staying on well for third.
The two pacemakers, Temple Place for Motivator and Hazarista for Azamour, went five lengths clear of the chasing pack after two furlongs, with Kevin Darley sitting sweetly on Motivator in third while last year's winner Azamour was last of the 10 runners.
Darley kicked for home on Motivator as they turned into the straight but Oratorio was brought with a perfectly-timed challenge towards the centre of the course for Fallon and he picked up the leader close home.
Alexander Goldrun did well to finish third after being slowly away. The O’Brien-trained Ace was fourth with Azamour a disappointing fifth.
"We've always had a lot of faith in this horse. He's done nothing wrong. On his two-year-old starts he was a Group One winner,'' Fallon told BBC Sport.
“He’s lazy, he’s just doing enough. I had Christophe Soumillon (on Azamour) on my inside. I think he'd have got out if he had the horse to do so. I thought I was running a bit wide so I had to keep him in.
“My horse was idling. Looking at his head on the replay, it looks as if he’s doing nothing. When I asked him to quicken and I gave him a back-hander, the way he picked up was electric and he’s won shade cosy at the end.”
