Jane Chapple-Hyam saluted the “genius” of Aidan O’Brien as she reflected on the fine run of Saffron Beach to take second in the Qipco 1000 Guineas.

Winner of the Oh So Sharp Stakes last year, Chapple-Hyam’s New Bay filly reappeared on the Rowley Mile in the Nell Gwyn last month when she was second behind Sacred.

Hopes were high for a big performance in the Newmarket Classic, and she duly turned the form around with Sacred – but just found Mother Earth a length too good.

Chapple-Hyam said: “What can I say, Aidan O’Brien is just a genius. He is hard to take on – and I can’t wait for him to retire!

“It would have been the quickest ground she has been on. But she can handle it because she is versatile, as you saw in the Oh So Sharp on good to soft, and she has done it here on the quicker ground.

“We are just all thrilled, and I’m sure the owners are highly delighted because they have got a second in the 1000 Guineas. This time last year, she wasn’t even in training.

“She has seen the mile out 100 per cent. I knew she would get the mile and I know she will get a mile and a quarter as well. They (owners) will tell me where to send her, and I will just get her fit. There is a good one in her.

“We just have to place her properly now and we will see what the team wants to do.”

Richard Fahey was also proud of the third home, Fev Rover, running a storming race to be just a neck behind Saffron Beach and a nose in front of Santa Barbara.

The North Yorkshire trainer said: “We were delighted with her – it wasn’t a truly-run race really.

“Paul (Hanagan) felt the ground was a bit quick for her – she just rolled about a bit – but you’d have to be happy with that.

“She probably will go further in time, and a bit of juice in the ground doesn’t bother her at all.

“She’s in the Irish Guineas, and that was going to be the plan – that or Royal Ascot.

“We will step her up in trip at some stage. We’ll just see how she takes the race.”