FORMER ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL striker Mick Channon scored a notable success today as he trained Samitar to win the Irish 1000 Guineas here for his first win in a classic.
Samitar, who had only finished ninth in the French equivalent a fortnight ago, beat a strong line-up including the hot favourite Homecoming Queen, who never looked likely to repeat her nine length caning of her rivals in the English 1000 earlier this month.
Joseph O’Brien, who had won the Irish 2000 with Power on Saturday, had sent her out in front from the off but the 19-year-old son of trainer Aidan could get nothing extra out of the 11/8 chance when Adrian Harley brought Samitar upsides.
Harley pressed the accelerator and 12/1 shot Samitar went clear to cross the line a length-and-a-half clear of another O’Brien runner 33/1 outsider Ishvana while another outsider Princess Sinead (25/1) was third.
“I’m delighted she’s found her form. She didn’t run badly in France, but she made the running and she should have been held up,” said 63-year-old Channon, who was capped 46 times between 1972-77.
“It was my fault for running her in a sales race at Newmarket before that — I was trying to be clever dropping her back to six furlongs. She needed some decent ground and she’s got it now.
“She’ll go for the Coronation Stakes (Royal Ascot) and she was bought by the owner (Martin Schwartz) to go to America,” added Channon, who has enjoyed plenty of success down the years at Group One level without ever tasting classic success.