AFTER Jackie Bolger’s Poetic Flare’s victory in the Group 1 Qipco 2000 Guineas, attention was quite rightly focused on the wonderful achievement of her husband Jim. Not only was he both the trainer and breeder of last Saturday’s winner, but he also bred and trained his sire, his previous Guineas winner Dawn Approach (New Approach), and both the colt’s dam and grandam.

However, it probably passed under the radar how the race was also nearly a very good result for the Godolphin/Darley operation. Four of the first six finishers were all out of mares bred by Darley: the runner-up Master Of The Seas, who was beaten only a short head by Poetic Flare, the third and fourth home Lucky Vega and Naval Crown, and the sixth-placed One Ruler.