Galileo colt Churchill became the 11th Group I Irish 2000 Guineas winner for Aidan O'Brien when defeating Helmet's wayward son Thunder Snow at the Curragh on Saturday.
Ridden by Ryan Moore, Churchill took control of the race at the 300m. While Thunder Snow attempted to rally, Churchill kept up a strong gallop to win by two and a half lengths. (photo Sporting Life)
Following his buck-jumping performance in the Kentucky Derby, Thunder Snow was on his best behaviour here, finishing four and a half lengths clear of third-placed Irishcorrespondent (Teofilo).
Churchill becomes the ninth horse to achieve the Newmarket-Curragh Guineas double and the fourth for O'Brien after Rock Of Gibraltar (2002), Henrythenavigator (2008) and Gleneagles (2015).
"He's a great horse and we're delighted with him," O'Brien told Sporting Life.
"He sleeps, he relaxes and he quickens. He's a very exciting horse. "The ground was a concern, but Donnacha (O'Brien) rides him in all his work and he said it'd be no problem, so that gave us great confidence to keep going.
"He's brave and so versatile. Ground and trip all come alike to him and he has a lovely demeanour. He saves all the petrol, and when you ask him to quicken he quickens. Coming here we were thinking we'd go from here to Ascot and he'll probably go for the St James's Palace Stakes.
"He'd have no problem stepping up to 10 furlongs later in the year. He's so relaxed and chilled."
Churchill is a grandson of Airwave whose wins included the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and Group II Temple Stakes.
She was second to Choisir in the Group I Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Airwave has three stakes winners among her four winners including Churchill's three-quarter brother
The best of Airwave's runners has been the Group III winner Aloof, also a daughter of Galileo, while the Storm Cat filly Meow was a black-type winner in Ireland and was runner-up in the Group II Queen Mary Stakes.
A regular visitor to Galileo, Meow is the dam of Churchill and his two-year-old sister named Clemmie.
Meow has a yearling colt by Galileo and was covered by Coolmore's champion stallion again last season.
