Los Angeles edges out White Birch in Curragh thriller

Los Angeles narrowly denied White Birch after a thrilling tussle for the Coolmore Stud City Of Troy Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh.

Last year’s Irish Derby winner and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe third Los Angeles was a 10-11 favourite for his four-year-old debut under Ryan Moore, with White Birch an easy to back 3-1 shot on his first appearance since winning the Tattersalls Gold Cup nearly 12 months ago.

Los Angeles took over from the pacesetting Alleged Stakes winner Galen approaching the final furlong and while White Birch threw down his challenge shortly after, he could never quite get on terms, with a neck separating the top-class duo at the line.

O’Brien said: “We’re delighted with him. He’s a lovely, big, honest horse. When he gets there he doesn’t do much but that’s always been him.

“The plan would be to come back here for the Tattersalls (Gold Cup) and if that went well then he would go to Royal Ascot for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. Then we could have a look at the King George and then he could have a break and then we’d give him a prep for the Arc.

“You can see that he’s still as big as a bull – he’s a big, powerful horse.

“We don’t want to go too long (far) until we have to, we’ll keep him sharp for when he goes up to a mile and a half. If he goes to the King George he’ll want to be sharp and then he’d have a prep for the Arc, maybe back here in the Royal Whip.”

Los Angeles did show some reluctance to go through the rails on his way to start, with O’Brien adding: “He’s a big, four-year-old colt and he knows how big he is. He’d be very happy to walk over you rather than walk around you! That’s the way he is.

“He hates hanging around but he doesn’t even break sweat. He’s like a big child that didn’t get manners put on him when he was young and then when he got too big, it was too late!”