KIEREN FALLON passed his first classic test with top marks as he secured the Pertemps, 1000 Guineas aboard Sleepytime on his big-race debut for Henry Cecil yesterday. The Irishman, a surprise recruit to the trainer's team last summer, justified Cecil's faith in him with a cool display on the 5 to 1 chance.
He looked in danger of suffering the same traffic problems that resulted in Sleepytime being defeated in her trial race at Newbury last month. But Fallon expertly threaded his way through the field to hit the front a furlong out and sprint clear to defeat 50 to 1 outsider Oh Nellie by four lengths.
It was the highlight of a 188 to 1 hat-trick as he followed up with wins on Cyrano's Lad and Valedictory. Dazzle, at 16 to 1, was three quarters of a length back in third with the 5 to 2 favourite Pas de Reponse, who failed to stay the mile, fourth.
"I started work with Henry Cecil in February and this has been well worth the wait," said Fallon. "It's a relief to finish a race like this in front. A few of the horses have run disappointing this week and I just hoped that one of our three would win.
"It's been a memorable day, especially for Mr Cecil. He put his head on the block when he employed me. Some people thought he had gone mad."
Cecil's Reams of Verse finished sixth and Yashmak 14th but it was the success of Fallon and Sleepytime that gave the trainer the most pleasure from his fifth 1000 Guineas win.
"Kieren has shown today that he is a Group One jockey. He's a very hard worker and a good horseman. I needed a stable jockey and you will see a lot of him in the next few years," he said.
"Everything had been going against Sleepytime but she proved how good she is today. Yashmak and Reams of Verse coughed in the Spring but she had a clear run and should improve. She is tall and sparing but with a bit of warm weather she should furnish more and I might put her away now until Royal Ascot."
The ex-Canadian Oh Nellie, who tried to make all the running, came close to clinching a famous double in the Entrepreneur colours of Michael Tabor and could be sent to the Curragh for the Irish equivalent by Neville Callaghan.
Entrepreneur's stablemate Dazzle who headed the classic betting early last summer, could re-oppose her after showing that she is returning to her best.
"I was very pleased with her," said Michael Stoute. "She hadn't really been pleasing us and only in the past week she has shown us she was ready."
Frankie Dettori left the bookmakers in a cold sweat after riding the first three winners at Newmarket. They feared a repeat of the Italian ace's unforgettable seven-timer at Ascot last September after his 174 to 1 hat-trick on Swiss Law Brave Kris and Siyadah.
But they were able to breathe more easily when Moonlight Paradise was only able to finish 10th in the big race. Swiss Law kept on gamely to bowl over the favourite Intikhab in the BT Racepager Conditions and provide Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin enterprise with its first success of the season.
The colt's performance wiped out the disappointing showing of Godolphin's first runners on Friday and Saturday, including Shamikh in the 2000 Guineas. Racing manager Simon Crisford said: "It's a relief that we've got that first winner under the belt. Some of the papers had already begun to write us off."
Siyadah is owned by Hamdan but also spent her winter in Dubai as part of the Godolphin enterprise.
