IRT sent up Australian 3YO colt Starspangledbanner earlier in the year to the Irish based Coolmore stables at Ballydoyle and on Saturday he duly landed the spoils by trouncing his opposition, ridden by Johnny Murtagh, to score a hugely impressive front-running 1.75-length victory in the Gr1 Golden Jubilee Stakes (6 furlongs) at Royal Ascot in England
He was closely followed in 3rd by by another of IRT's recent imports, the Californian based 5 YO gelding, Kinsale King. Kinsale King, who drinks a pint of Guinness each day, is trained by the colourful Carl O'Callaghan, who left his native Ireland at 14 and lived rough on the streets of New York before finding work as a stable hand and later a trainer, while also performing as a talented musician. At a dinner hosted by the Ascot executive, O’Callaghan, 34, was the impromptu cabaret, playing his guitar and singing Neil Diamond songs well enough to have such as Henry Cecil and Sir Michael Stoute on their feet dancing
Now both these horses, along with another of IRT's Aussie travellers, Nicconi trained by David Hayes, plan to do battle in Newmarket's July Cup before heading homeward. |
