Alpha Centauri, owned by the Niarchos Family, was launched out of the chasing pack by Colm O’Donoghue to get up in the latter stages fulfilling trainer Jessica Harrington's lifetime ambition of a winning a Classic.
A strong field for the fillies Classic was headed by Group 1 winners Happily and Clemmie but it was their Ballydoyle stable companion, Could It Be Love, who cut out the strong gallop and looked like she might be hard to beat two-furlongs from home.
“It’s fantastic to finally get a Classic winner,” a delighted Harrington said afterwards. “I’ve been second and third and come close here a few times but to finally win a Classic at the Curragh is a dream come true. It is absolutely fantastic.
Sunday was also a landmark day for Kildare trainer Michael Halford as he recorded the 1,000th Irish winner of his training career when Platinum Warrior won the Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes under 2,000 Guineas winning rider Shane Foley.
Halford went on to saddle his 1,001st winner later with Godolphin’s Saltonstall claiming the valuable Handicap.
1st Alpha Centauri (M. Harrington, C. O'Donoghue), 2nd Could It Be Love (A. O'Brien, D. O'Brien), 3rd Happily, 4th Soliloquy (C. Appleby, W. Buick), 5th Yulong Gold Fairy ( D. Weld, L. Roche), 6th Lightening Quick (J. Murtagh, J. Spencer), 7th Who's Steph (G. Lyons, C. Keane), 8th Most Gifted (A. O'Brien,W. Lordan), 9th Clemmie (A. O'Brien, S. Heffernan), 10th Scriobh Nua (J. Bolger,K. Manning),11th Chiara Luna (D. Weld, D. McDonogh),12th Alghabrah (K. Prendergast, C. Hayes),13th Uluru Park (B. Duke, R. Whelan)
Click Here To Watch Irish 1,000 Guineas (2018) won by Alpha Centauri
Credit: Pallavi Shevade pallavi.shevade@secretaristworld.com