Rosallion gave Seán Levey a first Irish Group 1 success with victory in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh on Saturday.
The Swaziland-born rider brought the Newmarket 2000 Guineas runner-up with a late challenge to catch his stable companion, Haatem, in the shadows of the post.
It was also a first Irish 2000 Guineas for Richard Hannon Junior, whose father, Richard Snr, won the colts’ classic with Don’t Forget Me (1987), Tirol (1990) and Canford Cliffs (2010).
Arizona Blaze (7/1) and David Egan won the Group 3 Gain Marble Hill Stakes (In Memory of Theresa Mernane) when the Adrian Murray-trained colt held off Aidan O’Brien’s 4/6 favourite Camille Pizzarro by a head.
The Group 2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes went to 9/1 shot Mitbaahy and Jamie Spencer.
Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore claimed the opening and closing maidens on the card. Two-year-old Henri Matisse (11/8 favourite) won the Tally Ho Stud Irish EBF Maiden over six furlongs, while the three-year-old maiden over 1 mile 2 furlongs went the way of Jan Brueghel (7/2) by an impressive eight lengths.
