And so it goes on. The latest addition to the greatest domination of a racing summer in modern times saw Moonstone win the Darley Irish Oaks in a thrilling finish at the Curragh yesterday. Before anyone detects even a threat to Aidan O'Brien's monopoly, it should be clarified that the runner-up, a 66-1 shot, was also from his yard.

O'Brien's passage through this season is now a source of curiosity bordering on astonishment. Quite apart from his regular harvesting of British group ones, he has now taken all four Irish classics run so far, and seven in succession dating back to the Irish Derby of a year ago.

As Yeats, after a third Ascot Gold Cup, would be long odds-on for another Irish Leger come September, it will take something unexpected to prevent O'Brien becoming the first trainer since 1935 to complete the seasonal slam of five classics.

As is his wont, he did not stint on ammunition for yesterday's leg. Six of the 14 runners are housed at Ballydoyle and, five furlongs from home, five of them occupied the first five places. Despite late advances from Gagnoa and Chinese White, the finish was a two-way tussle between Moonstone and Ice Queen.

The latter was the latest put-down to those who berate O'Brien for his heavy-handed running plans. Last of 16 when a 100-1 chance in the Oaks at Epsom, Ice Queen exceeded all previous form and gave best to the 2-1 favourite, under Johnny Murtagh, only in a head-bobbing photograph.

Modest and composed as ever, O'Brien said: “I think the second

filly could go back in trip but the winner will probably run in the Yorkshire Oaks.” There, at York

next month, she will have another crack at Look Here, her conqueror

at Epsom.

O'Brien has won more than double the prize-money of his closest pursuer in Ireland this season and also comfortably heads the British trainers' championship, which he also won last year.

That lead could be considerably greater in three weeks' time as he prepares to field odds-on shots in both the King George (Duke of Marmalade) and the Sussex Stakes (Henrythenavigator).

It was an irony that the relative famine of Ballydoyle's supposed rival superpower, Godolphin, continued at Ascot on Saturday at the hands of a horse surplus to the requirements of O'Brien and the Coolmore team.

Archipenko, sold last year to the international yard of Mike de Kock, numbered Ramonti among his victims in the group two Summer Mile. A flag-bearer for Godolphin last year, Ramonti was having his first race in seven months and should improve.

The same cannot be said for the same stable's Rio De La Plata, who had an untroubled passage at Chantilly yesterday but could finish only third under Frankie Dettori in the Prix Jean Prat.

Tamayuz was a convincing winner, providing a second group one prize in three days for the July Cup combination of Davy Bonilla and Freddie Head. British-trained horses occupied the next four places, headed by the favourite Raven's Pass, but Winker Watson fared no better than seventh on his first start this year for Peter Chapple-Hyam.

This was a rare group one in Europe with no representation from O'Brien but he makes up for the omission back in France this evening, with three runners in the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp. Alessandro Volta, whose wayward conduct made a fiasco of the Irish Derby, heads the Ballydoyle trio, with British opposition including Doctor Fremantle and Curtain Call.