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Aidan O’Brien’s Continuous bounced back to winning ways when successful in the Group 3 Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.
Last year's St Leger Stakes hero was dropping back to ten furlongs on his second outing of the season and was sent off the 4/7 market leader to oblige, despite finishing a well-held fifth in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot on his reappearance in June.
Always in pole position to strike under Ryan Moore, the son of Heart's Cry loomed menacingly at the three-pole before being sent into a narrow advantage entering the final furlong. Trustyourinstinct battled on well under pressure, but the longtime leader was never able to get back on terms with Continuous, who went on to land the spoils by half a length.
"We're delighted with him," said Aidan O'Brien on Racing TV. "We thought we needed to get a run into him before the autumn and needed to work out what route to go after Ascot."
"He can go to the Irish Champion; he can go to the (Irish) Leger. He could have a run in the Irish Champion with a view to going to the Arc after it. He could go to a Japan Cup; he has so many options.
"He's a very versatile horse, a great horse to have. He's very genuine and Ryan was very happy with him today."
There was further pattern race success for team Ballydoyle on the card at the Curragh as Grosvenor Square enhanced his St Leger claims by turning the Group 3 International Irish St Leger Stakes into a procession.
A gutsy runner-up to Tower Of London last time, the unexposed three-year-old relished the step up in trip to make all the running en-route to a staggering twenty-length victory.
Paddy Power cut the winner to 8/1 (from 14s) for the final British Classic of the season at Doncaster next month.
O'Brien said: "He has serious stamina when he gets into a rhythm. He's an exciting horse.
"It's a quandary whether you follow him or don't follow him.
"I said to Ryan 'was he finished at the line?' – and he said he wasn't, that he galloped through the line.
"It's very hard not to go to Doncaster, we'll see what the lads want to do but it's three-year-olds. He's so uncomplicated, you go out there and let him go.
"He handles soft ground as well."