The Group III Gallinule Stakes (1m2f) for three year-olds at The Curragh overnight produced an epic battle to the line between three very competitive colts that ended in the steward’s room with victory given to Wootton Bassett colt Thrice.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Wayne Lordan, Thrice won a maiden over 7f last year from three starts and was having his second run back this year.
He improved sharply on his first up sixth in the Group III Chester Vase to fight hard all the way down the straight and with clear running would have won at the post, but as it was got the race following a protest.
Bred and raced by the Coolmore partners, Thrice holds an entry for the Group I Irish Derby next month and has the overall record of two wins from five starts.
He is the first winner for well bred Galileo mare Mississippilanding, an unraced sister to stakes-winner Giuseppe Garibaldi from the family of Group III winner Carribean Sunset (IRE), who is at stud in Australia and has left stakes-winner Holbien and Group placed Amenable and Lovani.
Thrice is the 62nd stakes-winner for Wootton Bassett, who is due back at Coolmore Australia this spring at a fee of $385,000.
