Buckaroo gallops into the Irish Guineas picture with impressive Tetrarch success

Monday: Curragh

Buckaroo was cut to 5-1 (from 20) by Unibet for the Irish 2,000 Guineas after making light of the drop back to a mile in the Tetrarch Stakes, registering a very impressive success under Shane Crosse.

The winner was just touched off in the 1m2f Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown last month, so connections were taking something of a risk dropping back to this trip, but Buckaroo travelled like a good horse the whole way and quickened impressively inside the last furlong to score by four lengths from Wexford Native and New Energy. It was a performance that oozed quality and fully justified trainer Joseph O'Brien's decision to run him.

O'Brien said: "I'm really happy with that. We took a bit of a chance coming back here over a mile and it was not really the plan, but Sheikh Fahad was happy to give it a go.

"He had been working with plenty of pace, perhaps more than I was giving him credit for in earlier days. He looks like an Irish 2,000 Guineas horse. He's a big, strong, powerful horse and has a laid-back attitude and he's faster than I gave him credit for.

"I just had a gut feeling we should come here and find out if he was a Guineas horse and it looks like he is. I thought that was really impressive."

Spinner rounds off a fine weekend for O'Brien

Following the victory of State Of Rest in Sunday's Prix Ganay, O'Brien added a third Group victory in a little over 24 hours when the Scott Haider-owned Twilight Spinner stepped up to 7f convincingly in the Group 3 Athasi Stakes.

Joseph O'Brien: Curragh double rounded off fine weekendCredit: Edward Whitaker

It was a first run over the trip for the daughter of Twilight Son and she came through it convincingly, drawing clear in the final furlong to beat the the front-running Cigama by three and a quarter lengths.

O'Brien said: "It was a good performance. We were thinking of running her in the Greenlands but she's been shaping as though she was crying out to go up to seven furlongs. You'd have to say that probably looks her trip now."

Hat-trick for Layfayette

After victories at Listed and Group 3 level on his two previous starts this season, the admirable Layfayette made it three out of three for the season with a fine performance in the Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes under Chris Hayes.

The hands-and-heels victory over Bear Story has trainer Noel Meade contemplating supplementing the winner for the Tattersalls Gold Cup, in which he would be joining his stablemate and last year's winner Helvic Dream.

Meade said: "His improvement is unreal and he's just getting better. Chris said he nearly got there too soon. I suppose he's beating the same horses again but he is beating them better every time and he travelled better too. If we don't supplement him he's in the Hardwicke, which could suit."

Results and analysis

If you want more of Monday's reports:

Revitalised Slate House delivers 'special' first winner for Joe Tizzard

'I had to keep him' - Tanmawwy delivers for new owner and in-form Charlie Hills

'That was better than Cachet, wasn't it?' - Ronnie continues Highclere heroics

Gordon Elliott on brink of new milestone after Gallyhill strikes on opening day

Icing on the cake for owner as Get It provides him with a birthday winner

Tom Clover eyes Super Sprint bid after debut success for Rogue Spirit

The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday