'Legend' O'Brien the master again as Empress Josephine leads home Ballydoyle 1-2

Photographer Pat Healy politely asked Seamie Heffernan would he mind changing places with Aidan O'Brien and move to the other side of Empress Josephine as the pair posed for their post-race photo, to which the winning jockey wittingly replied: "I'll change places with you anytime, Aidan."

There will only ever be one Aidan O'Brien, though, and a tenth Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas was added to a CV that has more pages than most autobiographies.

It was Empress Josephine who provided him with a fourth win in five years, gunning down her better fancied stablemate Joan Of Arc in the final stride to score by a short head. Another Irish Classic, another tight finish, another 1-2 for the same trainer. This time it was O'Brien rather than Bolger who bossed the business end.

"We thought she was lovely the first day," said O'Brien afterwards. "Then next time at Leopardstown all the leaders went too fast over seven. We then ran her over nine furlongs in Gowran. That was a lovely run, but we thought nine may have just caught her out.

"She's able to quicken and Seamus gave her a lovely ride. She's very classy. She might go for the Coronation Stakes, but we'll see what the lads want to do. She's a sister to Minding and the second filly is a sister to Gleneagles so they are both beautifully bred fillies. We were going to step Joan Of Arc up to ten furlongs after today and she might go for the French Oaks."

Seamie Heffernan gives a pat to Empress Josephine, the rider's 36th Group 1 victoryCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

It is almost 21 years since Heffernan rode his first Group 1 winner for O'Brien – Beckett in the National Stakes. Now he has 36 victories at the top level and to these eyes he appeared to time his challenge to perfection on Empress Josephine. The man himself didn't think so, though.

Heffernan said: "I thought I had got there [in the photo]. I had a willing partner. I should have won well. I got sideways two [furlongs] down and it knocked her off balance. I was a lucky winner, but I should have won well.

He added: "I was happy enough with who I was following. I thought the filly with the highest rating [Pretty Gorgeous] would take me there. Irish racing is always tactical. If you don't have a horse who can jump and travel in the first furlong you are on the back foot.

"I'm delighted to be on this one. It's my fifth Irish 1,000 Guineas – I'm as hungry as ever. I won on her in Naas on similar conditions and she's very well bred, and I'm delighted to be on a winner."

Irish 1,000 Guineas full result and replay

No Speak Alexander was best of the rest. As expected she coped with the conditions better than most and was in front a furlong out. She wasn't able to stay there, but Jessica Harrington was thrilled with the performance.

"She's run a cracker. She's tough and she kept going. I'm delighted with her," said Harrington.

It wasn't to be for Pretty Gorgeous. Last year's impressive Fillies' Mile winner was sent off 15-8 favourite to make a winning reappearance, but she was trapped out wide throughout from her draw in stall 14 and, understandably, got tired in the closing stages.

Her trainer Joseph O'Brien was taking more positives than negatives from the display anyway.

O'Brien said: "I thought she ran very well. It's a tough mile up there in that ground without a prep run and she was only beaten three lengths. We're looking forward to the rest of the year with her and she'll probably go to Ascot for the Coronation Stakes. It's a long year."

Ladbrokes reacted to Empress Josephine's narrow success by making her 2-1 favourite for the Coronation Stakes at the royal meeting, while Joan Of Arc has been introduced into the Prix de Diane betting at 7-1 by the same firm.

There was some cracking efforts in behind the Ballydoyle pair as 125-1 rag Belle Image travelled through the contest like a 5-1 shot and kept on well for fourth. Indeed, she was only a short head away from being placed.

The good form of the Paddy Twomey stable continued, too, as 25-1 shot Fantasy Lady was a half a length further back in fifth.

But this was to be another Classic for Aidan O'Brien or "legend" as the aforementioned Healy calls him. He is truly unique, one of a kind.

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