Jaunt for Johannesburg at Deauville

Aidan OBrien continued his stranglehold on the top two-year-old races when Johannesburg gained a comfortable success in the Group One Prix Morny Casinos-Barriere Stakes at Deauville yesterday. The colts victory was following the stables successes in two juvenile Group Two races last week with Rock Of Gibraltar in the Gimcrack at York on Wednesday and Hawk Wing at the Curragh on Saturday. Johannesburg, winning his fifth successive race, minus a shoe lost during the six-furlong race, confirmed his position at the head of the the Sagitta 2,000 Guineas betting with a stylish victory. The Tote make him 3-1 from 8-1 for the Newmarket Classic, while Coral are more generous offering 7-1. Just a fortnight after his Phoenix Stakes stroll at Leopardstown, the colts win came at the expense of the French-trained Zipping, beaten one and a half lengths, with the David Loder-trained Meshaheer the same distance back in third. The race was run at a shoes good gallop with Mick Kinane tracking the leaders on Johannesburg before unleashing the son of Hennessy at the furlong pole. Getting an immediate response, the Ballydoyle runner came readily clear of his rivals. Ian Baldings Firebreak took fourth place, one place ahead of Andre Fabres War Zone. The Robert Collet-trained Zipping put up a creditable performance considering that he missed the break and he could face a rematch with OBriens colt in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on October 4. However, OBrien is also considering the Dewhurst Stakes as well as the Breeders Cup juvenile for the winner who paid FF1.70 on the Pari-Mutuel. I was not at all worried about running so close after his last race as he had an easy time in the Phoenix Stakes, said the Ballydoyle trainer. We were very pleased with him today and he will now take some rest before his next outing. The other British challengers were well beaten with Berk The Jerk finishing seventh and Tumbleweed Charm a disappointing ninth The Michael Jarvis-trained Holding Court bounced back to his best form with a gutsy all-the-way success in the Group Two Grand Prix de Deauville. Ridden by Philip Robinson, the four-year-old beat Godolphins Marienbard by two and a half lengths. It was his first victory since landing last seasons French Derby at Chantilly and he will next run in the Prix de lArc de Triomphe on October 7. Frankie Dettori, out of luck on Meshaheer and Marienbard, enjoyed better fortune when guiding Sheikh Mohammeds Do The Honours to a three-length success over John Dunlops Invincible Spirit in the Group Three Prix de Meautry. 149 Gossamer, trained by Luca Cumani, is 8-1 favourite for next years Sagitta 1,000 Guineas after romping home by seven lengths in the Touchdown in Malaysia Prestige Stakes at Goodwood yesterday.
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