Armory presses 2,000 Guineas claims as O'Brien wins Futurity Stakes again

Armory joined some illustrious company on Friday evening when becoming the latest Aidan O'Brien-trained winner of the Group 2 Galileo Irish EBF Futurity Stakes at the Curragh.

O'Brien has dominated the race, with past winners including Giant's Causeway, Hawk Wing and Gleneagles. Armory became O'Brien's 13th winner of the race, following on from subsequent Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck, who was successful 12 months ago.

A son of Galileo, Armory was sent off at 4-6 to continue O'Brien's stranglehold and burst to the front with around a furlong left under Ryan Moore, who had jetted over to the track after partnering Ten Sovereigns in the Nunthorpe at York earlier in the day.

O'Brien said: "He's come along lovely and he'd have learned a lot today. The plan was to come here and come back to the National Stakes. He's learning. He quickened well, and that's what you'd like about him."

Armory was trimmed in places to 10-1 for next season's 2,000 Guineas, though Ladbrokes were particularly impressed, making the colt a 7-1 chance (from 12).

Earlier on the card Jessica Harrington's fine season with her juvenile crop continued apace as Alpine Star managed to just get up to defeat Petit Mustique in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes.

Ridden by Shane Foley, Alpine Star is a half-sister to Alpha Centauri, who Harrington trained to win four Group 1s before injury ended her career last year.

Harrington said: "She needs a mile. I've got Albigna for the Moyglare. She's in the Fillies' Mile and she's also in the Prix Marcel Boussac."

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