"I've finally got the classic"- Jessica Harrington finally lands first ever Classic at the Curragh

Kildare trainer Jessica Harrington won her first ever Classic at the Curragh on Sunday as Alpha Centauri won the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas to hit another remarkable marker in her glittering career. The Moone-based trainer has won almost every major prize in National Hunt racing, but the victory in Sunday's showpiece race brought a first Classic win for Harrington. The talented filly finished first with a length to spare ahead of the Aidan O'Brien trained It Could be Love, while Happily - another O'Brien horse - came third. Colm O'Donoghue steered the 12/1 shot to victory, and Harrington reveled in the win afterwards. "It's fantastic - I've finally got the classic," she said. "I've been second and third and the horses have always run really well but this is a dream come true for me to win a classic. It's almost as good as winning a Gold Cup! "It's probably better, they are on a par, to win a race like this is absolutely fantastic. I'm just waiting for the Ascot winner now. "This is the first time since Ascot last year that she's got good ground and that's the key to her. She likes good quick ground. "She ran here in the Moyglare on soft to heavy and her first run this year was on soft to heavy ground. She's a big big filly and she just can't pull herself out of the heavy ground. Maybe as she gets older, maybe in the Autumn, she might get a little bit softer ground. It was the second win of the afternoon for Harrington at the Curragh, who also captured the opening race of the day when O'Donoghue led Indigo Balance to victory in the six furlong maiden. Local trainer Michael Halford also won two races on the day as Shane Foley led Platinum Warrior to victory in the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes, while Saltonstall won the one mile handicap under Norwegian jockey William Buick. Kevin Prendergast was another local winner as jockey Dylan Hogan steered Aared to victory on his seasonal debut in the one mile two furlong handicap. One of the biggest winners on the day was Aidan O'Brien as the master trainer watched Clane jockey Seamie Heffernan guide Lancaster Bomber to win the Tattersalls Gold Cup. It was the first leg of a double for O'Brien, with the final race also going his way when Luicius Tiberius won the EBF Maiden under jockey Donnacha O'Brien.