Curragh: Little Big Bear just right, Joseph O'Brien trains 1,000th winner

Aidan O'Brien’s Little Big Bear looked every inch a superstar as he dominated the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes from start to finish to give the Ballydoyle trainer his sixth winner in the Curragh Group One in the past seven years.

There was drama early in the contest as 11-8 favourite Bradsell appeared to stumble coming out of the stalls, but it was Little Big Bear who was sent to the front by Ryan Moore in the early stages.

The 13-8 shot was shadowed by Richard Hannon’s Persian Force, who at one stage appeared to be travelling better than the son of No Nay Never, but as the UK raiders loomed large passing the two-furlong pole, the Anglesey Stakes winner was just beginning to slip into top gear and was soon accelerating away from his pursuers.

Daylight was the biggest danger in the final furlong with the youngster recording a seven-length success over Persian Force, with Shartash, who did his best work late, another half-length back in third.

The victory not only brought up a hat-trick for the highly-talented two-year-old, but also O’Brien’s 18th success in the six-furlong contest and the layers were suitably impressed, with the colt made favourite across the boards for next year’s 2000 Guineas.

O'Brien said: "He’s a big, powerful, strong horse. He cruises and quickens. Before the race we had a bit of a scare with him when he came up here. He kicked a wall and the clip of the shoe went into his foot. He was a little bit tender when the shoe was put back on.

"It could have gone either way very easily, so it was a great call by John Halley and Lynn Hillyer to let him run.

"Ryan said when he let him go it was all over. He’d been progressing from every run. He ran here the last day with the view of going for this race.

"He loves good