No Nay Never Colt A New Rising Star

[Wandering Eyes]

Aidan O'Brien's stable is going great guns at this fledgling stage of the season and there was another TDN Rising Star off the production line at Naas on Saturday as the 2-year-old Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never–Adventure Seeker {Fr}) booked his Royal Ascot ticket. Narrowly denied on debut by the Ger Lyons-trained Tough Talk (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) over six furlongs at The Curragh Apr. 10, the descendant of All Along (Fr) was backed down to 4-9 to deliver dropping to five for this Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden staged on yielding-to-soft. Always travelling like the winner in behind as the Joseph O'Brien-trained Alexis Zorba (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) attempted to stretch him, the imposing bay who was a €320,000 Arqana Deauville August graduate was shaken up by Seamie Heffernan to take control inside the final furlong and register a three-length success without being fully extended. There was a further 3 3/4-length margin back to the Jessie Harrington-trained newcomer Keepupwithmyempire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) in third. “He just outclassed them,” Heffernan said of the January-foaled bay, who becomes his sire's third TDN Rising Star this term following the stable's fellow juveniles Deneuve (Ire) and Aesop's Fables (Ire).  “He had a lovely run the first day, where he was a little bit green and he was one that caught my eye at home. He would be in the mix for Royal Ascot. He switches off and has loads of boot and a bit of class–he ticks a lot of boxes.”

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