Historic day for Attraction

Attraction carved her niche in history when winning a thrilling Boylesports Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh yesterday. It's the first time a filly has completed the English-Irish Guineas double and as expected, it took an exceptional horse to do it.

Just as at Newmarket the Mark Johnston-trained favourite ran her opposition ragged from the front and was always holding the persistent challenge of Alexander Goldrun.

The latter was the sole local finisher in the top five but in truth this race was only about one filly with Attraction retaining her unbeaten record in style. "I was beginning to think that calling her the best I've trained was not a good idea but that was fantastic," grinned a relieved Johnston who now has the pleasant problem of future race planning.

His options can only be increased by jockey Kevin Darley's report that if anything Attraction seemed to be idling in front.

"She wasn't doing a tap," said Darley after navigating a course up the middle of the track. "It felt like she was doing nothing and the other horse coming to me actually helped." Johnston's initial instinct was to keep Attraction to a mile and Coral immediately installed her as 6 to 4 favourite for Royal Ascot's Coronation Stakes.

"We'll have to decide what's the higher accolade: champion at a distance or proving her versatility in the July Cup. Maybe she could even get further," he said.

The runner-up is a 16 to 1 chance for the Epsom Oaks but trainer Jim Bolger admitted: "Epsom is not high on our agenda."

Sulamani's defection from the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup due to a leg infection didn't stop another quality front running performance from the winner with Powerscourt coming home six lengths clear.

The eight-year-old mare Livadiya ran on best of the rest but Powerscourst did more than enough to encourage Aidan O'Brien into thinking of Royal Ascot's Prince Of Wales Stakes.

"That has always been the plan," O'Brien said. "He has class and he loves fast ground. He has been working great and Jamie (Spencer) gave him a lovely ride in front."

It was a good day all round for the O'Brien-Spencer team as Oratorio justified odds on in the two year old maiden and Meath dented the Epsom Derby aspirations of Cairdeas with a battling length and a half victory in the Group Three Gallinule Stakes.

Ladbrokes reacted by taking Cairdeas out of the Derby betting and Dermot Weld commented: "I have an open mind about it. He is an immature horse and that's as fast as he would like the ground. He is more likely to go for the Irish Derby." Paddy Power were sufficiently impressed by Meath however to cut him to 16 to 1 for Epsom.