Green Triangle leads home a 1-2-3-4 for Joseph O'Brien in €200,000 Gowran Classic

Joseph O'Brien dominated the €200,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Gowran Classic, with the Owning stable responsible for the first four home in the lucrative contest and Green Triangle shading the verdict from And So To Bed to give Ronan Whelan his first winner for the yard and a welcome change of fortune.

Whelan was having his third ride for O'Brien four weeks ago on Mveve at the Curragh where she stumbled and unseated him leaving the stalls, leaving him with a nasty injury. Today was his first day back on the track since that mishap but he showed no ill-effects and gave Green Triangle an expert ride.

After settling in second-last place off a strong pace, the winner mounted a rapid challenge out wide in the straight. Once he hit the front at the furlong pole, it seemed just a matter of how far he would win given the momentum he had built up but And So To Bed began to match strides and stretch clear with him.

However, Whelan kept his mount straight, declining to use his whip and galvanised him to a head victory at odds of 11-1. It was a phenomenal result for O'Brien, with the first four all returned at double-figure prices. The runner-up went off a 16-1 shot, the third, Viking Invasion, at 14-1 and Dignam was unconsidered in the market at 80-1.

"It's a great result," said O'Brien. "It's great prize-money and we obviously try to target these types of races. I'm particularly happy for Ronan because he got injured off a filly of ours at the Curragh and cut the back of his head. Today is his first day back riding so it's great for him. 

"He got a good set up and we were here to try get some prize-money. I said to Ronan to try and get a positive start and to give him a chance as we had been sending him to the front. He probably enjoyed that and the first-time blinkers."

Green Triangle secured a double for the yard after Dancing Teapot got the day off to a flyer when landing the opening fillies' maiden under Dylan Browne McMonagle, justifying 11-8 favouritism.

Go to Gowran my lovely

Gotomylovely continued her fine form at the Kilkenny track when showing all her resolution to fend off Kayhana in the 1m1½f fillies handicap for Fozzy Stack and Joey Sheridan.

The 11-2 chance landed her maiden impressively at this venue in April and finished a fine second in a conditions race over the same course and distance a fortnight ago. An opening mark of 90 on her handicap debut made it a tough task but she showed herself more than capable when getting the better of a protracted duel with the Gavin Cromwell-trained runner-up.

Stack said: "She’s probably better going right-handed and she likes it here. Joey gave her a good ride, they got it handy in front. She was better behaved in the stalls today and we'll probably try and get black type somewhere."

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