Prix de l’Opera Longines (Group 1)

EVEN with the unlucky Fancy Blue sadly ruled out, Ireland still landed a second one-two in the past four runnings of the €300,000 Group 1 Prix de l’Opera Longines with Dermot Weld’s Tarnawa edging out the Jessica Harrington-trained perennial big race bridesmaid, Alpine Star, by a short-head.

This was a magnificent display of class, versatility and toughness by Tarnawa, so impressive when landing the Prix Vermeille over a mile and a half on fast ground three weeks earlier and now pulling out all the stops to prevail over a quarter of a mile shorter and on a very different surface.

Special filly

Mark Weld, representing his father, said: “Tarnawa is a very special filly as it is very difficult to win one Group 1, never mind two. Dad always knew that she would get better this year.

“Now she has got a free entry to the Breeders’ Cup and it makes it easier as there are five weeks between the two meetings when there are sometimes only four. But the Filly And Mare Turf is only over nine and a half furlongs this time, so we will also consider the Turf (over a mile and a half) for her.

Garage

“I came over for the Vermeille and did my two weeks quarantine when I got home, now I’m going to have another 14 days in the garage!!”