Racing: O'Brien's troubles eased by Yesterday's triumph

Six imperfections lost another life at the Curragh yesterday, the champion two-year-old filly of Europe crashing to a second successive dramatic collapse in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

Yesterday, for Aidan O'Brien, won the Classic but, yet again, the conversation was about the dreadful run of Six Perfections, who finished like a train into second place. It was a replay, with different shocking scenes, of the nightmare at Newmarket.

Six Perfections, the 30-100 favourite, was trapped on the rails and found a gap only when it was too late. She burst past eventual third Dimitrova (16-1) but could not quite reach the O'Brien-trained winner, who was returned at 11-2.

Yesterday's stable companion L'Ancresse set out to make the running at a steady pace, with Michael Kinane holding up the eventual winner on the rails in fourth and Johnny Murtagh tracking Kinane on the market leader. Two furlongs out Dimitrova went on, but she was immediately pressed by Yesterday, who soon took control and looked set for a comfortable victory.

Murtagh and Six Perfections were trapped behind the fading L'Ancresse, but suddenly found racing room and mounted a powerful finish. But Yesterday had flown and the favourite just failed to catch her.

Once again, Pascal Bary, Six Perfections' trainer, had to chew on his tie. "What can you say?" he said. "Nothing. I knew very early it was going to be difficult. She was stuck on the rail and it was not a very good pace. I knew it would be difficult, and voila. She is a very, very good filly with great acceleration, but even she could not make up five lengths on Yesterday over a furlong."

Yesterday's victory may begin to leave the problems Ballydoyle have encountered this season in a similar historical perspective. The trainer was emboldened enough to consider this as all part of a great masterplan: that he believes, most greatly, in Yesterday. The filly will now head for the Oaks at Epsom on 6 June, for which she is quoted as the 3-1 favourite by Coral bookmakers.

"It was always the plan to run her today and then go to Epsom," the trainer said. "We've always thought she would be fine over a mile and a half. She showed us she has plenty of stamina when she won over a mile and a furlong last season."

Yet it was not a weekend exclusively stamped by Goliath. The Irish 2,000 Guineas on Saturday proved there was some slingshot left in racing, some romance, when the Classic was won rather appropriately by a Mr D'Arcy.

Paul D'Arcy may have been a nobody jockey with 10 years as Michael Stoute's main work rider to his name, but he is no fool when it comes to preparing thoroughbreds it appears. His Indian Haven is, at the very least, a most generous athlete which will serve him well through the season.

The Irish 2,000 Guineas form made a jumble of the the English form that had gone before it, but that was almost certainly down to the effect of the sloppy ground.

What we know now is that Indian Haven is a beast who can operate on all manner of terrain. It may not have been the mightiest of Guineas at the Curragh, but its winner has great acceleration by any standard. The chestnut got into some trouble yet again on Saturday - his haughty head carriage always accentuates the problems - but he is no slug when the passage is clear.

This was a triumph not only for D'Arcy and John Egan, for whom the phrase journeyman could have been coined, but also those who hope that Flat racing has not become a closed shop. Indian Haven was supplemented for euro €40,000 (£28,500) by a three-man syndicate which is as close to normal when it comes to the business of owning racehorses.

But with the Derby just 13 days away, O'Brien yesterday proposed to add a new kind of record to his achievements. It was possible, he said, that his seven Derby entries will all take their chance at Epsom. The seven are Alberto Giacometti, Balestrini, Brian Boru, Handel, Hold That Tiger, Solskjaer and The Great Gatsby.

"If we didn't go to France [for the Prix du Jockey-Club] we might run them all at Epsom," O'Brien said. "We have to decide by Wednesday about France. We wouldn't mind going to Epsom to find out the pecking order. If they did run together then there is still enough time between Epsom and the Irish Derby."

Hills loses out in Italy

British challengers lost out to a German-trained runner, Osorio, in a thrilling finish to the Derby Italiano in Rome yesterday.

As the field entered the straight, Osorio was immediately pressed by Godolphin's Songlark and Clive Brittain's Lundy's Lane. The Barry Hills-trained Private Charter then burst through to share the lead two furlongs out as Frankie Dettori and Songlark faded.

But Osorio, ridden by Mario Esposito, rallied gamely close home. Private Charter, ridden by Michael Hills, held on to second, just ahead of Lundy's Lane, the mount of Philip Robinson.