Ballydoyle Unveil Blackbeard’s Brother At The Curragh

[Wandering Eyes]

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a full-brother to Coolmore stallion Blackbeard (Ire).

2.20 Curragh, Cond, €22,000, 2yo, 5fT
CHARLES DARWIN (IRE) (No Nay Never) is the fourth foal out of the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes fourth Muirin (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}), whose son Blackbeard (Ire) carried all before him for Ballydoyle in 2022 when taking the G1 Middle Park Stakes and G1 Prix Morny. Aidan O'Brien is keen to double up in 2-year-old races so far in 2025 and his other runner Neolithic (Ire) (Sioux Nation) is a half-brother to the G1 Fillies' Mile third Bright Diamond (Ire) (El Kabeir), who earned TDN Rising Star status with a nine-length win on her debut. Heading the opposition is Moyglare Stud's homebred colt Evening Blues (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), a Ger Lyons-trained relative of the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

 

1.15 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, 6fT
EXTRAVAGANT (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the first string of a Ballydoyle pair in the maiden used by the stable to launch No Nay Never's subsequent Group 1-winning siblings Little Big Bear (Ire) and Whistlejacket (Ire) as well as the eventual G3 Killavullan Stakes scorer Glounthaune (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) since 2021. Starting early for a half-brother to horse Sea The Stars's high-class middle-distance performer Cloth Of Stars (Ire), the €300,000 Goffs Orby Book 1 graduate encounters a Jim Bolger homebred in Lonradh (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), a half-sister to his G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes-winning sire Verbal Dexterity (Ire).

 

3.45 Newbury, Mdn, £22,500, 3yo, 8f 7yT
CROWN OF OAKS (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is an eyecatching entry from William Haggas in the maiden he won 12 months ago with Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and in 2022 with My Prospero (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}). Serious notebook material with the way he finished off when third on his debut over seven furlongs at Newmarket in October, the Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy-owned son of the prolific stakes producer Forest Crown (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) from Car Colston Hall Stud's excellent family of Wiener Wald (Woodman), he is set to be a warm order in a maiden stacked with similarly promising types. They include Cayton Park Stud's John and Thady Gosden-trained King Of Narnia (GB) (Kingman {GB}), another son of a quality producer in the GII Lake Placid Stakes winner and GI Garden City Stakes-placed Sharp Susan (Touch Gold), while one of the newcomers is Valmont and Ballylinch Stud's Spanish Train (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a Paul and Oliver Cole-trained half-brother to the 2023 G1 Futurity Trophy hero Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) who runs in the opening G3 John Porter Stakes.

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