Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stable headed away from Newmarket after the Guineas meeting on Sunday with the favourite for next month’s Oaks and two of the top three in the betting for the Derby, but that does not really tell the tale of a difficult weekend here for Ireland’s most powerful yard.
The main positive for O’Brien was the sight of Ylang Ylang running a fine trial for the Oaks as she stayed on into fifth in a blanket finish to the 1,000 Guineas behind the surprise 28-1 winner, Elmalka. There are still no further clues to explain the bitterly disappointing performance of City Of Troy, the odds-on favourite, in Saturday’s 2,000 Guineas, however, or any indication of whether last year’s champion juvenile will head to Epsom for the Derby in four weeks’ time.