Tag: Aidan O’Brien

No Nay Never’s Blackbeard Powers To Prix Morny Glory

Aidan O'Brien trainee Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never–Muirin {Ire}, by Born To Sea {Ire}), who was collared in the dying strides of June's G2 Railway S. at the Curragh, outpointed reopposing stablemate The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in last month's G2 Darley Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly and enhanced a banner weekend for his all-conquering sire (by Scat Daddy) with a career high in Sunday's G1 Darley Prix Morny – Finale des Darley Series at Deauville. In so doing, he provided O'Brien with a fourth winner of the six-furlong contest and a first since Scat Daddy's sire Johannesburg (Hennessy) wrought havoc in 2001. The February-foaled bay had followed up a debut triumph at Dundalk in April with wins in the Curragh's May 2 Listed First Flier S. and May 21 G3 Marble Hill S., and preceded his Railway run with a fourth in June's G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot. The 13-10 second choice broke sharply from stall one and duelled for the lead with G3 Prix de Cabourg runner-up Manhattan Jungle (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) until halfway. Having subdued that rival, he was stoked up soon after passing the quarter-mile marker as Amo Racing's G1 Phoenix S. second and 6-5 favourite Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) threatened to crash the party and kept on powerfully under a Ryan Moore drive inside the final furlong to prevail by a half length in game fashion. The Antarctic finished 1 1/2 lengths back in third.

“He is a very mature, quick horse with a lot of speed,” said O'Brien. “He travelled well in front and had all the answers when challenged. His career has been speed orientated, but there is a possibility that he might come back [to France] for the seven-furlong Group 1 [Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere] in October. We shall also consider the [G1] Middle Park S., over six furlongs [at Newmarket], for him. At this stage, he is a bigger horse and a more mature animal than [G1 Phoenix S. winner] Little Big Bear, but they have never met. You can look at the form and have form your own opinion as to which one is the better.”

Richard Hannon is hopeful the runner-up will claim his elite-level rosette in time and added. “Persian Force ran a great race and we can't complain. He is a very speedy horse, but may have been a shade unlucky today. His day will come.”

Pedigree Notes:

Blackbeard, who becomes the fifth elite-level winner for his sire, is the first of three foals produced by Muirin (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}), whose own dam Girouette (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) collected the G3 Phoenix Sprint S. and is also the second dam of Listed Prix du Grand Camp-winning Polish champion Night Tornado (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}). Blackbeard's stakes-placed third dam Vassiana (Fr) (Anabaa), whose decsendants include dual Group 3 winner Max Vega (Ire), is a full-sister to G3 Prix d'Arenberg victrix Villadolide (Fr) and Listed Prix Hampton and Listed Prix du Cercle scorer Victorieux (Fr). The next dam Domludge (Lyphard) is a half-sister to multiple elite-level winner and G1 Prix de Diane heroine Mrs Penny (Great Nephew {GB}) and a full-sister to G3 Prix Vanteaux third Cadeaux d'Amie (Lyphard), herself the dam of multiple Group 1-winning 1000 Guineas heroine Hatoof (Irish River {Fr}). Muirin has a yearling full-sister and weanling full-brother to Blackbeard to come.

Sunday, Deauville, France
DARLEY PRIX MORNY – FINALE DES DARLEY SERIES-G1, €350,000, Deauville, 6-19, 2yo, c/f, 6fT, 1:09.91, gd.
1–BLACKBEARD (IRE), 126, c, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Muirin (Ire), by Born To Sea (Ire)
2nd Dam: Girouette (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Vassiana (Fr), by Anabaa
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (270,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Westerberg; B-Newstead Breeding LLC (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €199,990. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ire, 7-5-1-0, €374,730. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Persian Force (Ire), 126, c, 2, Mehmas (Ire)–Vida Amorosa (Ire), by Lope De Vega (Ire). (€75,000 Wlg '20 GOFNOV; €225,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR). O-Amo Racing Ltd; B-Tom Lacy (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. €80,010.
3–The Antarctic (Ire), 128, c, 2, Dark Angel (Ire)–Anna Law (Ire), by Lawman (Fr). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (750,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg & Brant; B-Bally Philip Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €40,005.
Margins: HF, 1HF, 2. Odds: 1.30, 1.20, 8.10.
Also Ran: Manhattan Jungle (Ire), The Ridler (GB). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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You’re ‘Verry’ Welcome

Following the frantic Saturday, a sense of serenity returns to the European racing scene on Sunday with Deauville hosting the leading action including the G1 Darley Prix Morny and G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet. In the latter contest, France says bienvenue to the Australian wonder Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) who makes her eagerly anticipated Northern Hemisphere debut under Frankie Dettori for the Francis-Henri Graffard stable. Her astounding 11 Group 1 wins in her former country make her a figure of worldwide renown, but a 12th in Europe would truly set the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup heroine apart.

Last in the winner's enclosure at Randwick six months ago after the Chipping Norton S., Jomara Bloodstock's 7-year-old has several formlines to suggest she can deal with this transition. There is a strong contender lying in wait in Robert Moran's June 8 G3 Munster Oaks and July 7 G3 Stanerra S. winner Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), so this will be no soft landing.

“It will be a new experience for her on the other side of the world,” Dettori told Racing.com. “She's had a bit of a break, so we'd expect her to come on for the race. When you look back at the Caulfield Cup, she beat the Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck, so if you can match that form that's pretty decent. I managed to speak to Mark Zahra and I will talk to James [McDonald], but the most important thing is just to keep her quiet the first part of the race and make the finish. It is her comeback race and obviously her long-range target is the Arc, so it's the first step forward to get to that.”

 

 

 

Ballydoyle Hold The Key To The Morny

Aidan O'Brien ruled the roost at The Curragh on Saturday and even managed to snag a black-type contest here on the same afternoon, but they are all probably the appetiser for the G1 Darley Prix Morny which Rosegreen dominate with the July 17 G2 Prix Robert Papin first and second Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never) and The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

Blackbeard was the operation's first black-type winner among the juvenile crop in 2022 and since his battling display in the Listed First Flier S. at The Curragh May 2, the stable have garnered another 13, including 11 at group level. Blackbeard has aided the cause with further wins in the May 21 G3 Marble Hill S. also at The Curragh and Chantilly's Robert Papin, while The Antarctic came here to take the G2 Prix de Cabourg which serves as this race's main course-and-distance trial Aug. 2. The latter, a full-brother to Battaash (Ire), has three lengths to make up on his warrior stablemate, but the master of Ballydoyle suggested this is no foregone conclusion.

“We always thought The Antarctic was a very good horse, which is why we supplemented him. He's just taking a little bit of time to come, but he's getting better,” he said.

Deja Vu?

Twelve months ago, Richard Fahey brought a G2 Norfolk S. winner here, booked Christophe Soumillon and the rest was history. This year, Steve Bradley's surprise winner The Ridler (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) gets the treatment and if history can repeat itself, then the follow-up act to Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) will be able to put a controversial win in that June 16 Royal Ascot contest behind him.

“He ran through the line at Ascot over a very stiff five and I just think the further he goes, the better he'll go,” Fahey said.

In a renewal lacking a single French runner, the July 7 G2 July S. winner Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) adds intrigue but the shadow of Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) hangs over all after he put seven lengths between them in the Phoenix.

“I was amazed with that race in Ireland–I was staggered that something could beat him that far,” trainer Richard Hannon said. “He's a very good horse and hopefully he's able to show it on Sunday.”

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First Black Type Winner For Saxon Warrior At Deauville

Delivering Saxon Warrior (Jpn) with a breakthrough first black-type winner at Deauville on Saturday, Victoria Road (Ire) took the Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage at a mile to also crown a memorable afternoon for Aidan O'Brien who had enjoyed a clean sweep of the 2-year-old contests at The Curragh. Always prominent under Ioritz Mendizabal, the 4-1 shot who had broken his maiden at the fifth attempt 10 days previously over seven furlongs at Gowran Park worked his way to the front inside the last 100 metres and mastered Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) by a short neck. Carrying the Westerberg silks, the bay had to survive an inquiry having swerved across the path of the third Dear My Friend (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) in the dying moments but was safely clear at the time.

Saturday, Deauville, France
CRITERIUM DU FONDS EUROPEEN DE L'ELEVAGE-Listed, €130,000, Deauville, 8-20, 2yo, 8fT, 1:42.58, gd.
1–VICTORIA ROAD (IRE), 126, c, 2, Saxon Warrior (Jpn)
1st Dam: Tickled Pink (Ire) (MGSW-Eng, $117,768), by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
2nd Dam: Cassandra Go (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahaam, by Secreto
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (115,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Trevor Stewart (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ioritz Mendizabal. €65,000. Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-0, €104,350. *1st stakes winner for sire (by Deep Impact {Jpn}).
2–Blue Rose Cen (Ire), 122, f, 2, Churchill (Ire)–Queen Blossom (Ire), by Jeremy. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Yeguada Centurion SLU (IRE); T-Christopher Head. €26,000.
3–Dear My Friend (GB), 126, c, 2, Pivotal (GB)–Dusty Red (GB), by Teofilo (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (35,000gns RNA Wlg '20 TATFOA; £40,000 Ylg '21 GOFFUK). O-Middleham Park Racing XXV; B-Bartlett, Beever & Cheveley Park Stud (GB); T-Charlie & Mark Johnston. €19,500.
Margins: SNK, 1HF, 1HF. Odds: 4.10, 2.90, 2.60.
Also Ran: Duc De Morny (GB), Love Too (Fr), Strako (Fr), Ghrainne (GB), Everwin (Fr), Bozzo (Fr). Scratched: Ifach (Ire). Video, sponsored by TVG.

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No Nay Never Double At The Curragh As Meditate Strikes

Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore ruled The Curragh with an iron fist on Saturday as the June 17 G3 Albany S. winner Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) brought up a four-timer in the Alpha Centauri Debutante S. and a notable group 2 double for her sire after Aesop's Fables (Ire) had led the way half an hour earlier. Sent straight to the front, the 8-13 favourite had to be tough to see off Olivia Maralda (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) but proved equal to the task to score by 3/4 of a length, with Thornbrook (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) a neck away in third.

 

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