Winter wonderland as flying filly routs Curragh rivals

Moore and Winter power to an easy win in the Irish 1,000 Guineas. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Aidan O’Brien is spoilt for choice when it comes to QIPCO British Champions Series races for as Winter after the flying filly completed the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas in great style at the Curragh on Sunday.

Twenty-four hours after Churchill followed up his victory in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in the Tattersalls-sponsored Irish equivalent, his stablemate Winter was all the rage to follow suit in the distaff division as the 8-13 favourite.

The daughter of Galileo caused something of an upset when seeing off fellow Ballydoyle inmate Rhododendron in the 1000 Guineas on the Rowley Mile three weeks ago, but she proved that was no fluke with a dominant performance in the hands of Ryan Moore.

She won by almost five lengths from stablemates Roly Poly and Hydrangea, giving O’Brien a pleasant dilemma as to her future programme.

“You’d imagine she might get a mile and quarter when she gets a mile that strong here at the Curragh, but she’s a good traveller,” he said.

“You’d be thinking of the Coronation Stakes [at Royal Ascot] with her, because she is a good strong traveller.

“If everything is well then you have to make your mind up where you go after that. Do you go to Goodwood over a mile and a quarter [Nassau Stakes], or do you go to the Falmouth and those races?

“The lads will talk about it and see what they want to do. She’s a big, powerful filly and is very exciting.”

Moore said: “It was very easy. I couldn’t be more impressed by her today.”