Eagle swoops to land deserved win
Eagle Mountain gave Aidan O’Brien and Kieren Fallon some compensation for the defeat of the highly-rated Henrythenavigator with victory in the United Arab Emirates Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh.
Placed in both the English and Irish Derbies, the colt finally got off the mark for the season in this Group Two contest.
Fallon sent the 4-5 favourite into the lead from the pacesetting Decado two furlongs out and he kept on strongly to keep Alexander Tango at bay by two and a half lengths.
The Mick Channon-trained Championship Point was last of the four runners.
The winner was cut to 14-1 from 20-1 for the Ladbrokes St Leger with VC Bet.
O’Brien said: “Kieren said he’s a much better horse coming from behind. His dad (Rock Of Gibraltar) was like that too.
“Kieren said he gets a fast-run mile-and-a-quarter but he’d get a mile and a half ridden to stay it.
“You would have to consider the Irish Champion Stakes and races like that but we have to decide whether to give him a rest before that or look for something at the back end.”
The Ballydoyle team also had to settle for second best with Listen in the Ballygallon Stud Debutante Stakes.
The 9-10 favourite could not quite peg back the Dermot Weld-trained Campfire Glow (12-1) who held on by a neck.
Pat Smullen brought Campfire Glow with a well-timed run to lead a furlong out while Listen only got going late after being switched to the inside. Tuscan Evening was third.
Weld said: “It was an impressive performance by her and she’s a magnificent filly.
“She will have one more run this year but obviously she is a filly for next year’s 1000 Guineas.
“There are couple of obvious races – she is eligible for the Goffs Fillies’ race and she is also in the Moyglare.”
Al Qasi (9-4) struck for the British contingent with victory in the Patrick P. O’Leary Memorial Phoenix Sprint Stakes.
Peter Chapple-Hyam’s four-year-old battled home well for Kerrin McEvoy to beat Evening Time by a length and a quarter.
These two had the finish of the Group Three over six furlongs to themselves after Karl Burke’s Aahayson had taken the field along.
Ronan Meehan, Chapple-Hyam’s representative, said: “We thought the ground might be a bit tough but he likes to get his toe in anyway.
“He’s been a bit unlucky this season and he’s bumped into some very good horses.
“Peter thought he was a really good bet today and that was just what we needed.”
