Aidan O’Brien achieved a rare grand slam in the Irish Classics yesterday, as race favourite Septimus stormed to victory in the Irish St Leger.

O’Brien’s 19th group one win of the season saw him become the first trainer in 73 years to win all five of the Irish Classics in a single season. The last trainer to achieve this feat was Jack Rogers who won each of the Irish Classics in 1935.

The result bodes well for Septimus’ prospects at the 2008 Melbourne Cup where he is set to tussle with Efficient for one of the biggest flat racing prizes of the year.

Events at Curragh will also have given O’Brien something to smile about after watching English St Legers favourite Frozen Fire botch his attempt to secure a Classic title earlier in the day. None of O’Brien’s four runners in the race finished in the money.

“It’s great for the team, for Aidan, for everybody,” Johnny Murtagh, O’Brien’s first choice jockey, said once the results in Curragh had come through. “These are the things you work for - the big wins on the big days.”