Rock Of Gibraltar, ridden by Johnny Murtagh, trained by Aidan O'Brien and owned by Alex Ferguson and Mrs John Magnier won the season's first Classic, the Sagitta 2000 Guineas at Newmarket today. Rock of Gibraltar (9-1) held off a late challenge from stablemate and 6-4 favourite Hawk Wing to win the one mile race by a neck. Redback, trained by Richard Hannon, was a further quarter of a length behind in third.
Winning jockey Murtagh was delighted with Rock Of Gibraltar's performance and thought he could have won by a bit further. "It's a great day for everyone involved and it's a good result for racing," Murtagh said. "Sir Alex is a big name in the football world and now he's a big name in the racing world."
"Everyone's been sweet on him at Ballydoyle and he's been working well and he's won here well. He had a good turn of foot and quickened up well and I think he won cosily in the end," Murtagh added. "I made up my mind to go to the right and I told Aidan and he said to do my own thing, just get him relaxed as he has a good turn of foot."
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
