Double for Montjeu crowns great week for Coolmore and Ballydoyle

22nd June 2008

A brilliant Royal Ascot for both Ballydoyle and the Coolmore stallions finished on Saturday when Montjeu enjoyed a double via Macarthur (4c Montjeu-Out West, by Gone West) in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes and Honolulu (4c Montjeu-Cerulean Sky, by Darshaan) in the Queen Alexandra Stakes.

Macarthur - a full-brother to 2005 G1 Derby winner Motivator bred by Deerfield Farm - gets better and better with age, winning the G3 Ormonde Stakes at Chester in May before going on to finish third to Soldier Of Fortune in the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom.

He stayed on well under Johnny Murtagh to take the Hardwicke Stakes by a neck from Multidimensional (5h Danehill - Sacred Song, by Diesis) in a race in which the first five home were all by Coolmore stallions.

"You're never sure until they pass the line but Johnny gave him a great ride and he responded well," said O'Brien. "He's a horse that likes a strong even pace. The pace was even but it wasn't strong and he did very well to quicken up like that. His last couple of runs have been close enough together and we might give him a rest now."

Murtagh added: "I had a lovely run through the race. They weren't going that fast and when I came up alongside Ted (Durcan on Multidimensional) at the top of the straight, Ted really quickened and his horse went on. I hoped we'd get there and then in the last 100 yards he really kicked into another gear. I think he's going to be a Group 1 horse."

The Kilfrush-bred Honolulu gave O'Brien and Murtagh their sixth victory of the week in the concluding Queen Alexandra Stakes in which Montjeu also sired the third-placed Metaphoric (4g Montjeu-Virgin Hawk, by Silver Hawk) and fourth Bulwark (6g Montjeu-Bulaxie, by Busted).

Honolulu, who finished third in last year's G1 St Leger, looks set to become a leading player in Cup races after his length and a half victory from Distinction (9g Danehill-Ivy Leaf, by Nureyev).

"We couldn't be certain that he would stay, but he kept going didn't he? But Johnny gave him a perfect ride, took his time and produced him perfectly," said O'Brien.

Away from Ascot, Montjeu had another G3 winner at Longchamp on Thursday when the Aga Khan's Montmartre (3c Montjeu-Artistique, by Linamix) took the Prix Du Lys for trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre and jockey Christophe Soumillon

The colt will next appear in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris on July 14.