Cape Blanco: strolls to five-and-a-half length success at Leopardstown

  PICTURE: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)  

Cape strolls home to give O'Brien Group 1 double

Report: Leopardstown, Saturday

Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes (Group 1) 1m2f, 3yo+

THERE was a minor upset in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday when Cape Blanco overturned his odds-on stablemate Rip Van Winkle to give trainer Aidan O'Brien a Group 1 double on the card following Lillie Langtry's Matron Stakes success.

The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner, the 6-1 third favourite, was given a great front-running ride by Seamie Heffernan and the pair never saw another rival as Rip Van Winkle (8-11) got going far too late under Johnny Murtagh.

Despite the victory of his supposed second string, O'Brien willstill be buoyed by Cape Blanco's stunning five-and-a-half-length triumph, which gave the trainer a sixth win in the prestigious race, eclipsing the legendary Vincent O'Brien's tally of five. On a memorable day for the Ballydoyle maestro the victory was the final leg of a fantastic Leopardstown 1133-1 four-timer.

O'Brien said: "He's getting stronger all the time and there are plenty of options - the Champion Stakes, the Arc, then the Breeders' Cup."

William Hill cut Cape Blanco to 8-1 (from 20) for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on October 3, while they also inserted him into the Breeders' Cup Turf market at 10-1.

Cape Blanco won the Totesport Dante Stakes in May, beating subsequent Investec Derby hero Workforce in the process, but connections opted to miss Epsom and head to France for the Prix de Jockey Club a day later.

Bogged down by the soft ground at Chantilly, the Galileo colt was unable to fire, but returned to form when winning the Irish Derby.

Aidan O'Brien: Group 1 double

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker 

He then finished a distant to second to the impressive Harbinger in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot last time, but bounced back in style over this 1m2f, a trip O'Brien feels suits him best.

"Although he won the Irish Derby, we always felt a strongly run mile and a quarter race would suit him ideally," O'Brien said.

Of Rip Van Winkle, who won the Juddmonte International Stakes at York last time, O'Brien added: "He's a miler who gets a mile and a quarter on fast ground. The change in ground went against him."

Murtagh also felt the ground played a part in Rip Van Winkle's defeat, although he was quick to pay tribute to Cape Blanco.

"It was a solid run race and the winner was up there all the way. I followed Tom Queally [on Twice Over] and I got past him the same way I did at York, but from three out I was under pressure."

Murtagh rode Cape Blanco when he won the Irish Derby and added: "He's a good horse. He did everything right as a two-year-old and won the Dante and Irish Derby. Today, the way the race was ridden set it up for him. Seamie gave him a great ride and fair do's it was a top-class performance.

Twice Over, half a length behind Rip Van Winkle at York, was third at 10-3and his trainer Henry Cecil said: "I'm not blaming the ground because I thought it would suit, but he didn't pick up and we were never going to catch the winner turning in."