Latrobe bounces back to winning form
Latrobe (left) has won a Group Three race in Ireland and could return to Australia.
The Lloyd Williams-owned Latrobe has won his first race since the Irish Derby with his victory in the Group Three Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown.
After his Classic success in June, the Joseph O’Brien-trained Latrobe was runner-up in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington in November and Australia is again on the agenda.
Blenheim Palace set the early pace with Donnacha O’Brien settling Latrobe second until the field turned for home.
O’Brien then gave the signal for Latrobe to go about his business and he started to pull clear, only for Guaranteed to follow him through and try to go with him.
Latrobe had plenty in reserve and eventually went on to win by three-quarters of a length.
“The main reason for coming here was that Lloyd and Nick Williams felt that it would be important to get a win under his belt this year and then we could make a plan for the second half of the year,” Joseph O’Brien said.
“He has options all over the place. He could go to Australia, but he has options in America as well. There are places like Japan and there are big races here as well. I’m not sure where exactly he’s going to go yet.
“He seems pretty versatile trip-wise as he’s ran well at 10 furlongs (2000m) and also at one-mile-six this year.”