NEWS
Halfway To Heaven completes Irish Guineas double for O’Brien
Posted: Sunday, May 25, 2008 5:08 PM
HALFWAY TO HEAVEN (nearest rail) HOLDS ON AT THE CURRAGH
Racing Post photo
by Tony Smurthwaite
Halfway To Heaven sealed a classic double for Ireland’s champion trainer, Aidan O’Brien, when holding off a late surge from three opponents to win the Boylesports Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) at the Curragh on Sunday.
Her victory at odds of 13-to-2 came a day after stablemate Henrythenavigator won the Boylesports Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) over the same mile.
The two classic successes were among seven wins for O’Brien during the two days of the Guineas meeting that included victory in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-G1) for Royal Ascot-bound Duke of Marmalade.
Halfway To Heaven was only a head in front at the finish after jockey Seamus Heffernan struck for home more than two furlongs from the finish.
Mad About You was first to challenge inside the final furlong, and then Dermot Weld-trained stablemate Carribean Sunset and 66-to-1 outsider Tuscan Evening hared down the middle of the track to ensure four fillies flew over the line in close proximity.
Problems in running had preceded the rush for home, however, and the stewards demoted Tuscan Evening to fourth place after ruling she interfered with Carribean Sunset. Mad About You was promoted to second and Carribean Sunset to third.
None of that mattered too much to O’Brien.
“Seamus gave her a great ride,” he said of Halfway To Heaven. “He was very positive and she is a hardy filly.
“She ran well first time out at Leopardstown, where she got tired at the end. In France, she turned in front and dropped back to fifth before staying on again to be third.”
Halfway To Heaven finished third to unbeaten superstar Zarkava in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Fr-G1) (French One Thousand Guineas) on May 11 in her previous start. The gray Pivotal filly is the fourth winner from as many starters out of the Indian Ridge mare Cassandro Go, a half sister to Group 3 winner and sire Verglas (Ire), who is Irish classic-placed.
The one-mile Coronation Stakes (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot on June 20 is a possible target for Halfway To Heaven, O’Brien said.
Duke of Marmalade, the 1-to-3 favorite, made it two wins in as many starts this season when following up his Prix Ganay (Fr-G1) win with a convincing defeat of the persistent Finsceal Beo in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.
British bookmaker Coral made the winner the 7-to-2 favorite for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Eng-G1) at the royal meeting on June 18.
“He’s a solid horse,” O’Brien said. “He’s one of those special types and all he wants is a nice, even pace. He got that today.
“He came forward for his run in France, and we'll hopefully go to Royal Ascot for the Prince of Wales's now.”
The four-year-old Danehill colt, bred by Southern Bloodstock from the Kingmambo mare Love Me True, is from the family of Group 1 winner and sire Wolfhound and 1992 Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise, dam of classic winners and sires A.P. Indy and Summer Squall.
Tony Smurthwaite, a British-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent, is a writer for Racing Post
