Ronan Groome

The name Stack resides deeply through Irish racing through the exploits of Tommy, most famously Red Rum’s rider, a multiple champion jumps jockey and a multiple Group 1 and classic-winning trainer.

He left big boots for his son Fozzy to fill from their Tipperary base, but the 42-year-old has made a fair fist of it since he took over at the end of the 2016 season and he emulated his father’s Group 1 success when he sent Aspen Grove over to win the Belmont Oaks in Belmont Park, New York on Saturday evening.

The filly had finished last of 10 runners when previously seen in the Irish 1000 Guineas and was sent off just short of 16/1. Things didn’t look good for her early when she dwelt coming out of the stalls, but she was brought through with a winning challenge by Kerry native Oisín Murphy to credit Stack with his maiden top level win.

“She was very good,” Stack said on Sunday. “She was last in the Guineas but she was in season and she is hopeless when she is in season. She had been hopeless in her work at home but you can’t run again in a Guineas so we rolled the dice.

“Oisín gave her a great ride. I was never worried about the trip. As a two-year-old, I thought she was a 10-furlong filly and she got it well.”

Aspen Grove, owned by the American stud farm Glen Hill Stud in partnership with Sue Magnier, wife of Coolmore supremo John, will now stay in the States to target further Group 1 glory, namely the Saratoga Oaks or Del Mar Oaks.

Meanwhile at home, Kildare jockey Gary Carroll continued his brilliant season when he scored his 32nd winner of the campaign at Naas on Saturday, which moved him level with Ryan Moore at the top of the Irish flat jockeys championship.

Carroll, not even quoted in the betting for the championship at the beginning of the season, is an 8/1 shot for the title now. Unlike some of his main rivals, he has to relay out the output of a number of smaller yards, but he has made hay with his opportunities thus far, which included a second Royal Ascot success on Gavin Cromwell’s Snellen.