Paddington, ridden by Ryan Moore, gave trainer Aidan O’Brien his 12th win in the 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.
Making the seamless switch to classic company, the 3-1 second favourite was always well positioned on the heels of pace-setting Hi Royal, before powering clear in the closing stages.
O’Brien also saddled runner-up Cairo, with Hi Royal, second in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, back in third.
Royal Scotsman was the 6-4 favourite but never looked like getting involved.
Having begun his season in handicap company off a mark of 97, Paddington won the Tetrarch Stakes next time before being pitched into the Grade One Guineas.
Jockey Moore was keen to grab an early position on the victor and settled just behind Oisin Murphy on Hi Royal.
For a brief spell it appeared as if Murphy was keeping a bit up his sleeve as Moore got down into the drive position, but with half a furlong left to run, Paddington began to gain the upper hand.
He leaned in briefly on Hi Royal, but he was already in command and as Hi Royal began to weaken it was the winner’s stablemate Cairo who made late gains from the rear to claim second, beaten two lengths.
O’Brien took his first 2,000 Guineas victory in 1997, with his most recent success before 2023 coming on Churchill in 2017.
The winner is now the 4-1 second favourite for the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot with Coral, who have Newmarket winner Chaldean as the 11-8 market leader.
Meanwhile, Dramatised came with a powerful late challenge to land Group Two honours in the Temple Stakes at Haydock.
Last seen finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Dramatised was the 4-1 favourite for trainer Karl Burke and jockey William Buick.
Buick rode a perfect waiting race and, when he gave Dramatised the signal, she quickly made strides up the near side rail, collaring Live In The Dream inside the last of the five furlongs.
Equilateral, a 20-1 shot, did his best to challenge down the middle of the track, but Dramatised was just too good, prevailing by a length, with Live In The Dream keeping on for third ahead of Existent.
