Excelebration wins Big Bad Bob Gladness Stakes

AIDAN O’BRIEN issued a major statement of intent at the Curragh on Sunday by recording a 6-1 treble, which included taking the two big races with Excelebration and Requisition. Excelebration justified 2-7 favouritism in the feature Group 3 Big Bad Bob Gladness Stakes, winning on his debut for the Ballydoyle trainer. He quickened up smartly under Joseph O’Brien to beat Croisultan by three-and-a-quarter lengths.

Nephrite may have been sent off the odds-on favourite for the Listed Anne Brewster Memorial Loughbrown Stakes but it was stablemate Requisition who landed the spoils under Seamus Heffernan. The 7-2 shot made every yard of the running and held on comfortably from Coolnagree with Nephrite back in third.

O’Brien’s afternoon got off to the best possible start as 1-3 favourite Infanta Branca made every yard of the running under Joseph O’Brien to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden by half-a-length.

DAVID WACHMAN continued his superb start to the Flat season at the Curragh on Sunday by sending out Chrysanthemum to win the Listed Run Kildare 13th May Alleged Stakes. The 5-4 favourite, running in the colours of Michael Tabor, made every yard of the running under Wayne Lordan to beat Vivacious Vivienne by one-and-a-half lengths. The winning Cashel trainer revealed afterwards that Chrysanthemum may now go for the Victor McCalmont Stakes at Gowran Park on May 6.

Golden-based Tommy Stack was also among the winners at the Curragh courtesy of Cnocan Diva who justified 7-2 favouritism in the Irish Field Handicap under Shane Gray. Running in the colours of Newtown Anner Stud Farm, Cnocan Diva had to survive a steward’s enquiry after beating Susiescot by a head but the placings were left unaltered and favourite backers collected.