Hermosa proves the ace in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas pack

Lordan, left, and Hermosa after their QIPCO 1000 Guineas triumph. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Aidan O’Brien celebrated yet another QIPCO Guineas Festival success on Sunday as Hermosa completed a Classic double for the trainer on the weekend with victory in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas.

Runner-up in the bet365 Fillies’ Mile over course and distance last year, Hermosa was having her first start of the season and was brave under Wayne Lordan, making all and repelling the challenge of fellow Irish raider Lady Kaya to score by a length in the second QIPCO British Champions Series race of the year.

The Landwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes winner, Qabala, who was seeking to hand her 19-year-old jockey David Egan a landmark early career success, took third, a further neck away from the winner.

O’Brien has now trained the winners of 55 Champions Series races since its inception in 2011. It is the fourth time he has trained the winners of the 1000 and 2000 Guineas in the same season.

Hermosa’s victory was a second in three years for Wayne Lordan, who struck aboard another Aidan O’Brien-trained filly, Winter, in 2017. Sunday’s win was also O’Brien’s fifth in the first fillies’ Classic of the campaign.

 ”I’m delighted,” said O’Brien. “She did very well over the winter and ran an unbelievable race in the Fillies’ Mile here last year and she is very uncomplicated. She is tough, like her sister [the Group 1 winner Hydrangea]. She stays well. Wayne gave her a great ride. It is just a privilege and it’s a credit to everyone at home.”

O’Brien added: “Physically, she has changed a lot over the winter and really grew into a three-year-old. She is a very tough filly.”

Winning jockey Wayne Lordan said: “I rode her aggressively because she stays really well but she saves a little bit for herself.

“I would not think she would have any problem staying the Oaks trip. I actually fancied her. I thought she had good form. She is a filly who will stay and she saves enough. I knew, riding her here, if you jump out and go real forward and they start lining up behind you, it would take a really good one to get by her. It is great to be riding in these races and to get a win is fantastic.”

Hermosa is now a general 6-1 for the Investec Oaks at Epsom next month.

Second-placed Lady Kaya, a first Classic runner for trainer Sheila Lavery, ran a huge race.

“I owe a lot to both [jockeys] Pat Smullen and Johnny Murtagh,” the trainer said. “Both have been brilliant in giving me help and information. The filly has run wonderfully but in many ways maybe it’s like the Moyglare Stud Stakes last season, in which I thought we had it won and nearly got there. That was over seven furlongs – I’m not discounting running this filly over a mile, but I’ll have to take advice.”

David Egan, jockey of third-placed Qabala, said: “She ran a good race, even if she got a bump going into the dip. It probably didn’t cost us the race, but it definitely cost us momentum at an important stage in the race. She really gathered herself up, though, and hopefully has a long and successful season ahead of her, even if today didn’t go 100 per cent to plan.”