'Springs' soars in Falmouth
Alice Springs, with Ryan Moore up, on the way to winning the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket. Photo: Simon Cooper
Alice Springs stormed to a landmark Falmouth Stakes triumph to complete a 23.5/1 Newmarket double for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore.
No Irish-based filly had won the mile contest since it earned Group One status in 2004, the last being Michael Cunningham's Rose Above in 1979.
However, when O'Brien elected to go with Alice Springs yesterday rather than the highly-regarded Ballydoyle, punters took note.
She was backed from 6/1 into an SP of 5/2, and proceeded to smash the course record by over a second to confirm spectacularly the quality of the elite stable's three-year-old fillies. "Aidan said he felt she was improving," Moore relayed of Alice Springs.
"She's a big girl and she has had a busy year, but she has kept coming forward all the time and it was a very good performance. I think the (fast) ground helped her, but she's quite adaptable."
Housesofparliament had got the duo rolling at the July Festival on Thursday, and Roly Poly (6/1) initiated yesterday's brace with another impressive turn in the Group Two Cherry Hinton Stakes.
