The Aidan O’Brien-trained Winter delivered an emphatic performance in the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas to complete her own version of the Guineas double to emulate stablemate Churchill’s 2000 Guineas double.
Well-backed into 8/13 favouritism, the daughter of Galileo was always travelling powerfully in the one mile event under Ryan Moore as stablemate Hydrangea set a decent gallop.
The imposing three-year-old grey filly was prominent throughout and she quickened up in taking fashion at the furlong pole to come well clear of her rivals to register a bloodless success by four and a half-lengths.
O’Brien, saddling the winner of the Group One event for a seventh time, also trained the second and third as Roly Poly and Hydrangea kept on stoutly in the closing stages to fill the placings.
Winter looks every inch the top-class filly and she could now head to the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot as she looks to continue her impressive form.
A delighted O’Brien said:
I’m delighted with her. She’s not short of pace. You’d imagine she might get a mile-and-a-quarter when she gets a mile that strong here at the Curragh, but she’s a good traveller.
Ryan was very impressed with her. He said she was as easy a Classic winner as you could believe.
Winning rider Ryan Moore said:
It was very easy. She gave me a lovely ride and it was very straightforward. She travelled and took me into the race without me asking her a thing and I couldn’t be more impressed by her today.
