The popular Rosallion took pole position in a sterling Richard Hannon double victory during Saturday’s Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh, affirming a promising revival in flat racing performance for interests from across the English Channel. Sean Levey, the jockey of the 10-11 favourite and Hannon’s top horse, battled valiantly, overhauling his stable companion Haatem by just a head. Aidan O’Brien’s lead horse, River Tiber, had to concede to third place.
Remarkably, after nearly two decades since beginning his career at the Curragh, victory marked top-tier Irish success for the first time for Levey. Hannon has followed in the footsteps of his father, Richard Snr, earning the laurel of the Irish 2,000 Guineas thrice.
Despite the winter season that saw Irish jump racing supersede British competition, the first 2024 Irish Classic reinvigorated British momentum. McCreery and McDonogh joined forces to make a bid for a classic victory with Vespertilio in the upcoming Sunday’s 1,000 Guineas.
Rosallion’s triumph was part of a string of success, highlighted by another British double victory in the Group Two Greenlands Stakes, with Candleford celebrated prior to the main event by securing the Listed Orby Stakes.
Rosallion has solidified his position in the Classic history by winning the 103rd occurence of the colt historically important race, while Fallen Angel and Skellet, both cross-channel based contenders, are to run in the Sunday’s 1,000 Guineas.
Throughout the Guineas, it seemed as though the Blue Point offspring may have to be content with a second-place finish, much like in the Newmarket equivalent previously in the month. Early slow pace spurred Rosallion to run hastily and Levey had to pull back. Upon calming, the colt found himself with significant ground to cover as Haatem spearheaded home from an enviable pace-leading position.
Jamie Spencer may have felt the Curragh Classic was well within reach. But Rosallion, displaying an exemplary combination of determination and class, managed to close the distance successfully in time.
Levey, originally from Swaziland and having arrived in Ireland at age 11, launched his professional journey at Aidan O’Brien’s raceyard as an apprentice. He has once again made history, becoming the first black jockey to seize victory in an Irish Classic. This feat mirrored his previous achievement six years prior in England with Billesdon Brook at the 1,000 Guineas.
Reflecting on his performance, the 36-year-old said: “I have fond memories of this course, but never before have I arrived with such a promising contender, and had it actually come to fruition.” Levey had been apprehensive about Haatem performing better on this track, a fear not completely unfounded, but his horse’s agility saved the day.
Richard Hannon’s faith in Rosallion being his best horse since Canford Cliffs, the 2010 Irish Guineas champion, was justified in an impressive style. After disappointing results at the English Guineas, where Rosallion and Haatem finished second and third, this victory felt like a sweet redemption. “This triumph more than compensates for the earlier disappointment. It’s the cherry on top,” Hannon commented.
Acknowledging his horses’ brilliant performances, he optimistically added, “Rosallion has always been somewhat exceptional and we had high hopes for him. Seeing him clinch a Classic win is heartening. Both horses ran their best races. The next stop for Rosallion is Ascot, promising a thrilling race. Haatem too will eventually have his day.”
Expressing his elation over Rosallion’s victory, Hannon said: “I’m absolutely thrilled with Rosallion. Although he took a while to gain momentum, he proved his capability to cover the distance successfully, which was a satisfying factor. We plan to compete in the St James’s Palace Stakes, despite knowing the difficulty in outflanking the horse that outperformed us previously.”
On a different note, Jamie Spencer caught the limelight earlier when Mitbaahy, a 9-1 outsider, surged from the back to clinch the first place in the Greenlands, outstripping his fellow racer, Regional.
“Despite trailing the leaders by a couple of lengths, he did well to outpace them. It’s clear he’s a horse on the rise, and we have high expectations for his performance at Ascot,” Spencer stated.
“The powerful headwind worked in his favour today. Considering his previous runs at Newmarket where lagging behind can be detrimental due to the distinctive ridges, I believed he posed a good chance. He’s had a couple of good races amidst losing balance in the dip.
“When running on such tracks where the surface is more accommodating, he was bound to regain his speed,” he added.
Earlier on, Candleford, with Ryan Moore leading, had clinched a close victory in the maiden, leaving newbie Henri Matisse behind.
In contrast, Camille Pissarro, who was the favourite, fell short by a head against Arizona Blaze in the Group Three Marble Hill.
Royal Ascot’s Coventry Stakes is the next target for the victor as trainer Adrian Murray, assistant Robson Aguiar, and AMO Racing enjoy the remarkable turn of fortunes in their career.
“It’s like a dream come true. I never thought things would turn out this way for me.
“About two and a half to three years ago, Robson asked if I would train for them. He asserted that we’ll be dealing with top-notch horses. I didn’t take it seriously then. But one successful year has been followed by another,” said Murray.