'She's not there yet' - more chapters to be written for Never Ending Story as O'Brien expects progress

The early signs are very ominous indeed as Aidan O'Brien won both the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas Trials at Leopardstown with members of the Ballydoyle 'B' Team. 

Hans Andersen and Never Ending Story won so emphatically, though, that you wonder whether they can wriggle their way into the 'A' team for Newmarket. 

O'Brien's comments after he won his 12th 1,000 Guineas Trial with Never Ending Story were particularly interesting. 

The 2-1 favourite was much the best of what looked a competitive field beforehand as she quickened up smartly down the outside to score by two and a half lengths. It was very easy on the eye, even if her coat wasn't. 

O'Brien said: "She hasn’t really come to herself yet, but when she does she will gush. She's just not there yet, you can see it in her coat that she's not there."

Never Ending Story might have looked like the finished article in the race, but O'Brien is convinced she is not even close to it yet. 

She won't be rushed, although BoyleSports slashed her into 12-1 from 25-1 for the Qipco 1,000 Guineas. Meditate remains the stable number-one for Newmarket and Never Ending Story could wait for Longchamp or the Curragh. 

O'Brien added: "She can go to one of the Guineas and then stepping up in trip after that shouldn’t be a problem to her. The plan is for Meditate to go straight to Newmarket and she could go for one of the other Guineas. We will go gently on her."

Hans Andersen: could contest the French or Irish 2,000 Guineas nextCredit: Patrick McCann

Thirty-five minutes earlier Hans Andersen wrote himself into the Classic picture. He won the way you expect 8-13 shots to win, but with Auguste Rodin and Little Big Bear being aimed at the Qipco 2,000 Guineas, he will be trained with the Prix du Jockey Club in mind. 

Paddy Power trimmed Hans Andersen to 33-1 (from 50-1) for the first Classic of the season at Newmarket next month, but his trainer has other ideas. 

O'Brien said: "We're going to have a look at either the French or Irish Guineas on the way to the French Derby with him. I was delighted with the way he won as that wasn't his ground. He's a good-ground horse and a very good mover. He quickened up well and the experience he had from last year stood to him."

Ryan Moore didn't have to get too serious to secure a two-and-a-half-length victory on Hans Andersen, with Bold Discovery doing best of the rest in second and the winner's stablemate Carracci taking third. 

O’Brien has already sent out eight winners and the Irish Flat turf season is only a week old. The early signs are ominous for the rest. 

Murphy touched off

Oisin Murphy's return to Leopardstown was almost a winning one, but his mount, the Qatar Racing-owned Valiant King, failed by a short head to reel in 20-1 outsider Signora Bellissima, who got first run under Jamie Powell. 

It was Johnny Murtagh's first winner of the season and he is hoping it is the first of many. 

The trainer said: "It’s great to get on the board. I didn’t know about the trip and was just hoping she would stay the distance. 

"Jamie said that she got through the ground really well. She probably needed his 5lb and was running out of steam. We’ll keep her at a mile and a quarter and she has probably strengthened up a bit from two to three."

Curvature relishes conditions

On ground officially described as heavy, many didn't handle the testing conditions at Leopardstown, but Curvature certainly did and ran away with the opening fillies' maiden. 

It was the first leg of a 137-1 double for Shane Foley, who went on to win the Ballysax on White Birch, and he made every yard of the running on the well-backed 5-1 shot for his main employer Jessica Harrington. 

The winning trainer's daughter Kate said Curvature relished the conditions. 

She said: "We got it a bit wrong sending her to Dundalk as she loved that slow ground today. We might try and find a bit of black type with her sooner rather than later.

"She’s a nice filly and one we did like last year, but we were a bit disappointed with her two runs up at Dundalk. She showed us there today what she had been showing at home."

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