Green Triangle lands Gowran Classic as Joseph O’Brien dominates

Joseph O’Brien enjoyed a productive day at Gowran on Monday as Green Triangle led home three stablemates in the €200,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Gowran Classic.

Ridden by Ronan Whelan, who was having his first ride back after a month on the sidelines, Green Triangle (11-1) rallied over a thrilling mile and a furlong to beat And So To Bed by a head with with fellow O’Brien inmates Viking Invasion and Dignam following them home.

O’Brien said: “The horse got a good set-up. We were here to try and get some prize-money. I said to Ronan to get a positive start and give him a chance because we had been sending him to the front.

“He probably enjoyed that, first-time blinkers, and he got all the money.

“It was a good race. And So To Bed bounced right back to form. I thought if she came back to her Curragh run she was probably the one to beat in the race, and it looks like she did.

“This fella is a talented horse but a tricky customer. In Killarney he was going to win when he jumped out through the rail, he’s always run pretty well.

“It was a great result. It’s great prize-money and we obviously always try and target those races.

“The winner will probably turn up in a nice three-year-old handicap somewhere.”

As for Whelan, O’Brien said: “I’m particularly happy for Ronan because he got injured off my filly in the Curragh, he got a cut on the back of his head, and today is his first day back riding.

“I was feeling sorry for him, it was a freak accident, and it’s great for him to get a winner and a big pot.”

Dancing Teapot emerged as another winner for O’Brien in the Today’s Gate Sponsored By The INPBA. Sent off the 11-8 favourite, the sister of Lockinge runner-up Dancing Gemini beat In My Teens by a length.